Headlines

AHL News & Rumors

Senators Place Stutzle In Protocol, Send Daoust To QMJHL

By | at January 11, 2022 5:21 pm

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.

0 comments AHL Ottawa Senators QMJHL

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/11/22

By | at January 11, 2022 9:34 am

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

0 comments AHL Transactions

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/10/22

By | at January 10, 2022 12:34 pm

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

1 comment AHL

Tage Thompson Placed In COVID Protocol; Jack Quinn Recalled

By | at January 10, 2022 10:19 am

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.

1 comment AHL Buffalo Sabres

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Jack LaFontaine

By | at January 9, 2022 5:20 pm

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.

11 comments AHL Carolina Hurricanes NCAA

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/09/22

By | at January 9, 2022 10:05 am

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.

0 comments AHL Transactions

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/08/22

By | at January 8, 2022 12:15 pm

Even with four games being postponed, it’s still a very busy day on the NHL schedule with 11 games on tap which means there should be plenty of roster movement around the league.  We’ll keep track of all the taxi squad and other roster moves here.

Atlantic Division

 

Metropolitan Division

  • The Rangers announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled wingers Anthony Greco and Lauri Pajuniemi to the taxi squad. Greco is second on AHL Hartford in points this season with 23 in 26 games while Pajuniemi has 15 points in 27 contests in his first season in North America.
  • The Flyers announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated winger Jackson Cates from COVID protocol and recalled him from the taxi squad while defenseman Nick Seeler was also removed from COVID protocol. In corresponding moves, winger Connor Bunnaman and defenseman Yegor Zamula were sent back to the taxi squad.
  • With Jesper Bratt and Nathan Bastian entering COVID protocol, the Devils announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forwards A.J. Greer, Nolan Foote, and Marian Studenic along with defenseman Colton White from the taxi squad.  Bratt’s loss will be particularly noticeable as he leads New Jersey in goals (10), assists (22), and points (32) so far this season.

Central Division

  • The Stars have recalled goaltender Adam Scheel to the taxi squad, per a team release. The 22-year-old has a 3.57 GAA along with a .886 SV% in nine games with AHL Texas this season.
  • Colorado has recalled goaltender Hunter Miska and winger Mikhail Maltsev to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log. Miska has struggled in limited AHL action this season with a .797 SV% in four appearances while Maltsev has 17 points in 23 games in the minors plus six appearances with the Avalanche.
  • The Wild announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forwards Victor Rask and Kyle Rau along with defenseman Dakota Mermis from the taxi squad.  To make room on the roster, Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov were transferred to injured reserve but with the team off until Friday after their game tonight, both will be eligible to return at that time.

Pacific Division

  • The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled goaltender Spencer Martin, defenseman Ashton Sautner, and forwards Justin Bailey and Sheldon Rempal to the taxi squad. Vancouver didn’t have anyone on the taxi squad before now but with the team set to resume their road trip with five more games starting next week, the extra reinforcements were needed.
  • The Kings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Austin Wagner from AHL Ontario.  He played in 44 games with Los Angeles last season but has played exclusively with the Reign this year, collecting seven points and 52 penalty minutes in 19 games.  In a corresponding move, winger Samuel Fagemo was sent from the taxi squad back to the minors.  He has 11 points in 24 AHL contests this season.
  • Calgary has made a pair of moves, announcing (Twitter link) that center Byron Froese has been sent from the taxi squad to AHL Stockton while center Adam Ruzicka has been recalled to the active roster from the taxi squad.  Froese hasn’t played anywhere in more than a month while Ruzicka has a goal in five assists with the Flames this season.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

1 comment AHL Calgary Flames Colorado Avalanche Dallas Stars Los Angeles Kings Minnesota Wild New Jersey Devils New York Rangers Philadelphia Flyers Transactions Vancouver Canucks

Vegas Golden Knights Assign Adam Brooks To AHL On Conditioning Loan

By | at January 7, 2022 7:26 pm

Per CapFriendly, the Vegas Golden Knights assigned forward Adam Brooks to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights on a conditioning loan today.

Brooks has played just seven games since Vegas claimed him off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens on November 17. In those seven games, he has two goals, adding onto his one assist in four games with the Canadiens prior to the claim.

Vegas is Brooks’ third team in a very short span of time. He was a waiver-wire addition to the Canadiens as well, who claimed him from the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to the start of the season.

It should be Brooks’ first AHL action since 2020-21, where he had 13 points in 17 games with the Toronto Marlies. He’s a very capable producer at the minor-league level, and in the short term, he should provide a boost to the Vegas farm team.

1 comment AHL Vegas Golden Knights

Tuukka Rask Officially Signs PTO With AHL’s Providence Bruins

By | at January 7, 2022 11:35 am

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

5 comments AHL Boston Bruins Newsstand Transactions

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/07/22

By | at January 7, 2022 10:05 am

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

Metropolitan Division

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. 

0 comments AHL Transactions
Show all
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors