Taxi Squad Shuffle: 12/31/21
The final day of 2021 originally featured seven games on the schedule today but that has been trimmed down to four due to some postponements. Nevertheless, it should once again be a busy day on the transaction and taxi squad fronts and we’ll keep track of those moves here.
Atlantic Division
- The Senators announced (Twitter link) that forwards Clark Bishop and Logan Shaw have been added to the taxi squad. Those moves are likely linked to the placement of Joshua Norris and Tyler Ennis in COVID protocol earlier today.
- The Bruins have recalled John Moore to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log. The veteran has played in just four games with Boston this season while chipping in with six points in ten games with Providence.
- The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defenseman Chad Krys from the taxi squad to AHL Toronto. The 23-year-old was acquired from Chicago three weeks ago and has played in ten AHL contests between the two teams this season.
- The Panthers have recalled defenseman Matt Kiersted to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 23-year-old has a dozen points in 23 games with AHL Charlotte this season plus two points in five NHL contests with Florida. Later in the day, they announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Chase Priskie was also recalled to the taxi squad while goaltender Spencer Knight was sent back to the taxi squad.
Metropolitan Division
- The Penguins announced the recalls of wingers Anthony Angello and Radim Zohorna to the taxi squad. Both players had NHL time with Pittsburgh last season (19 games for Angello, nine for Zohorna) but both have played exclusively with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season.
- The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Lucas Johansen from the taxi squad while sending Alexander Alexeyev to the taxi squad. Johansen, a 2016 first-rounder, has yet to make his NHL debut but may get that opportunity now with this promotion.
- The Hurricanes have assigned defenseman Jalen Chatfield to the taxi squad, per a team release. The 25-year-old has an assist in seven games this season while averaging a little under 17 minutes per game.
- The Blue Jackets announced the recall of defenseman Scott Harrington from AHL Cleveland. He takes the place of forward Justin Danforth on the roster as the rookie will miss six weeks with a sprained MCL. Harrington has an assist in six games with Columbus this season while Danforth has two goals and two assists in 13 contests.
Central Division
- With the World Juniors ending earlier than expected, the Jets are taking advantage of it, announcing (Twitter link) the recall of winger Cole Perfetti to the taxi squad. The 19-year-old had six points in two games for Canada while picking up 15 in 17 contests with AHL Manitoba.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Mathieu Olivier from the taxi squad while sending Matt Luff and Michael McCarron back in their place. The moves come ahead of tomorrow’s afternoon match against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Pacific Division
- The Sharks have recalled defenseman Jaycob Megna, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 29-year-old has played in six games with San Jose this season and will be needed as depth with Mario Ferraro currently in COVID protocol.
- The Kings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve sent winger Vladimir Tkachev and defenseman Jacob Moverare back to AHL Ontario. Both players were recalled yesterday but didn’t play for Los Angeles in their win over Vancouver.
- After Dustin Wolf served as the backup for the Flames last night, the team announced (Twitter link) that the goaltender has been sent back to AHL Abbotsford. That suggests that backup Daniel Vladar will be cleared to return for Sunday’s game against Chicago.
- The Ducks announced (Twitter link) that winger Bryce Kindopp has been sent back to AHL San Diego. He had been brought up on an emergency recall on Wednesday after putting up 10 points in 22 games with the Gulls. Taking his place on Anaheim’s roster is Sam Steel who was activated from COVID protocol.
- The Golden Knights have sent defenseman Daniil Miromanov and center Jake Leschyshyn back to Henderson of the AHL, per their team Twitter account. Miromanov has played in four games with Vegas this season, picking up an assist while Leschyshyn has a goal and three assists in 19 NHL games.
This post will be updated throughout the day.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 12/30/21
Seven, count ’em seven games on the NHL schedule this evening as the league starts to get back to a full slate. That includes a battle between Mark Giordano and the team he captained for so long, Bruce Boudreau looking to stay undefeated as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, and an important Atlantic Division matchup between two Florida-based teams. As they and the rest of the league prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling right here.
Atlantic Division
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Teemu Kivihalme and Chad Krys to the taxi squad, giving them some extra bodies on defense while they continue to deal with COVID absences. The team actually had a defenseman from Ryerson University–Gregory DiTomaso–take part in practice today, while Krys, acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this season, also joined the big club for the first time.
- The Buffalo Sabres have assigned Oskari Laaksonen, Brandon Biro, and Ryan MacInnis to the taxi squad. Laaksonen especially is an interesting prospect for the Sabres, given how well he has scored at the AHL level so far. The 22-year-old defenseman has 32 points in 51 games since joining the Rochester Americans last season. A third-round pick in 2017, he has yet to make his NHL debut.
- The Florida Panthers have recalled Chase Priskie to the taxi squad. Priskie has played twice for the Panthers this season but is still looking for his first NHL point. The 25-year-old has 12 points in 22 games for the Charlotte Checkers.
- John Moore has been removed from the Boston Bruins taxi squad and sent back to the AHL. The 31-year-old defenseman has spent more time in Providence than Boston this season, scoring six points in 10 games for the P-Bruins.
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have made a small swap, sending Gerald Mayhew to the taxi squad while recalling Jackson Cates. Mayhew made his Flyers debut on Wednesday while Cates has a goal in two games with Philadelphia this season.
Central Division
- Ahead of the Winter Classic, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Connor Dewar and Dakota Mermis to the taxi squad, adding some extra insurance as they deal with uncertain COVID cases and injuries. Dewar, 22, has played in four games for Minnesota this season but is still looking for his first NHL point.
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Vladislav Kolyachonok from the AHL to the taxi squad, where the young defenseman will get the chance to practice with the NHL club. Kolyachonok, 20, has five points in 15 games for the Tucson Roadrunners after being acquired as part of the Anton Stralman trade last summer.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled defenseman Alec Regula and forward Josiah Slavin from AHL Rockford, assigning them to the taxi squad. Regula got into three games with Chicago last season while Slavin has an assist in nine NHL games this season.
Pacific Division
- The Edmonton Oilers have loaned Dmitri Samorukov back to the AHL, as Darnell Nurse and William Lagesson return to practice. The 22-year-old Samorukov has played just one NHL game but looks like he could be a part of the Oilers blueline down the road. For now, he’ll return to the Bakersfield Condors where he has three points in 15 games this season.
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Vladimir Tkachev and Jacob Moverare from the AHL. Quinton Byfield has been activated from the COVID protocol and loaned back to the Ontario Reign. Moverare, 23, is still waiting to make his NHL debut, despite several recalls in the last few weeks.
- The Arizona Coyotes have brought up goaltender David Tendeck to the taxi squad. The 22-year-old has played in 12 games with Rapid City of the ECHL this season, posting a 3.21 GAA with a .912 SV%.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Minnesota Wild Facing Organizational COVID Issues
Some tough news hit the Minnesota Wild organization today, as four Iowa Wild players entered the AHL’s COVID-19 protocol, per the team, including center Mason Shaw, who’s gotten into two games with the Wild this season and was a potential call-up option for the team in the coming days.
It’s apparent at this stage that the Minnesota Wild won’t be playing in the Winter Classic on January 1 with a full squad. Center Joel Eriksson Ek is out with an upper-body injury, and head coach Dean Evason confirmed earlier this week that he won’t play. Captain Jared Spurgeon is on injured reserve, listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He won’t be in either.
Now with defenseman Jonas Brodin entering COVID protocol yesterday, it became apparent that the Wild will need depth options in the coming days to continue to field a competitive team. There’s also the very viable concern of more Wild members entering COVID protocol – they’re one of the very lucky teams who have just one COVID-related absence as of now.
It’s important to note that Minnesota still stands in pretty good shape right now. Young Calen Addison and Jordie Benn are legitimate NHL options who can fill in for Brodin and Spurgeon on the back-end, and assigning more minutes to players like Ryan Hartman and Frederick Gaudreau down the middle can help alleviate Eriksson Ek’s absence.
But ahead of the Winter Classic, one of the most-talked-about and most-watched regular-season games of the year, it’s concerning. Over the past few weeks, the hockey world’s seen seemingly endless times how quickly situations like this can devolve.
It’s what makes the news out of Iowa so concerning. Minnesota still has quality depth options available for recall, including forwards Matt Boldy, Kyle Rau, Adam Beckman, Connor Dewar, and defensemen Dakota Mermis and Kevin Czuczman. If the COVID situation worsens in Iowa, however, it could seriously affect Minnesota’s ability to construct a competitive roster for the Winter Classic.
Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues Complete Minor Trade
The Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues have completed a minor trade, with Will Bitten and Nolan Stevens changing organizations.
The Wild will receive Stevens, a 25-year-old forward that has 12 points in 20 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds this season, his fourth in the AHL since signing out of Northeastern University. Standing 6’3″, he offers some size and skill as a potential depth player for Minnesota. More likely though he’s headed for Iowa where he can continue his season in the AHL. Stevens is on a one-year, two-way contract that carries a cap hit of $750K at the NHL level.
For St. Louis, Bitten comes to town after scoring eight points in 23 games for the Wild. A third-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2016, he is still just 23 but has yet to make an appearance at the NHL level. Like Stevens, Bitten is on a one-year, two-way contract with the Wild but his actually carries a cap hit of $840K at the NHL level–not exactly the easiest to fit in for a team like St. Louis that is battling cap issues.
In all likelihood, both players spend the majority of the season in the minor leagues, perhaps seeing some time on the taxi squad if needed.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 12/29/21
The return from the holiday break brought plenty of offense around the NHL last night, with 32 goals (plus a shootout winner) in just three games. Six more are on the table for this evening, meaning we could see the red lamp light quite a few more times. As teams prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling right here.
Atlantic Division
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Remi Elie to the taxi squad, giving them another forward as they travel to Sunrise to take on the Panthers tomorrow night. The Lightning narrowly escaped with a win against the Canadiens last night, but in positive news, Brayden Point appeared to hit the ground running with two goals and three points in his return.
- The Detroit Red Wings have sent Luke Witkowski and Victor Brattstrom back to the AHL from the taxi squad, giving the Grand Rapids Griffins some extra bodies. Brattstrom, 24, has split the season–his first in North America–between Grand Rapids and the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought Michael Hutchinson up to the taxi squad, while sending Joey Anderson, Kyle Clifford, Carl Dahlstrom, Filip Kral and Kristians Rubins down to the Toronto Marlies. The Marlies are expected to return to action tomorrow night for the first time in more than two weeks and will now have several key players back in the lineup.
Metropolitan Division
- After clearing waivers today, Washington Capitals forward Michael Sgarbossa has ended up on the taxi squad. Brett Leason and Alex Alexeyev meanwhile have been recalled to the active roster, while the team has activated Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie, and Tom Wilson.
- Stefan Noesen has been assigned to the Carolina Hurricanes taxi squad, as he continues to be a top injury replacement option for the team. In 23 games with the Chicago Wolves, Noesen–who does have over 200 NHL games played–has 24 points.
- Gerald Mayhew and Felix Sandstrom have both been recalled from the taxi squad. Sandstrom, 24, has not yet made an NHL appearance and has a 3-7-3 record in 15 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season.
Central Division
- The Minnesota Wild have officially recalled Calen Addison to their taxi squad, with the expectation that he will slide onto the active roster to replace Jonas Brodin this weekend. Brodin entered the COVID protocol yesterday, meaning the Wild will be without several key players for the Winter Classic.
- The Arizona Coyotes have made a whole bunch of transactions after last night’s game. The team has assigned Blake Speers and Jan Jenik to the taxi squad, Michael Carcone and Vladislav Kolyachonok to the AHL, and moved Bokondji Imama and Josef Korenar back to the AHL from the taxi squad. Alex Galchenyuk has been activated to take one of the roster spots.
- The St. Louis Blues have recalled Alexei Toropchenko from the AHL to the active roster and expect to have him in the lineup tonight. The young forward has played in three games so far this season but is still looking for his first NHL point.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Michael McCarron from the taxi squad. They’ve also recalled Tomas Vomacka all the way from the ECHL to join the taxi squad, giving them an extra goaltender for the time being.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have activated Cal Petersen from the COVID protocol, meaning Garret Sparks can be loaned back to the AHL. He won’t be going alone though, as Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Martin Frk, and Jacob Moverare will also all report back to the AHL.
- The Vancouver Canucks have assigned Ashton Sautner and Spencer Martin to the team’s taxi squad, after two players entered the COVID protocol today. The pair will give them some extra bodies on the current road trip, including an additional goaltender just in case. Martin, 26, has three NHL games under his belt but has been excellent for the Abbotsford Canucks this season, going 5-0-1 with a .930 save percentage.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Snapshots: Canucks, AHL, Svejkovsky
When Jim Rutherford took over the front office in Vancouver, he vowed that he would take his time to evaluate his new team and to choose from a multitude of potential GM candidates – and he is sticking to it. In an interview with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Rutherford details his plans for the hockey operations hierarchy, including hiring two additional assistant GMs in addition to the GM, but shares that he is still evaluating a number of options for the top job. Rutherford is exploring some female options, as he tells MacIntyre that he appreciates the diversity within the Canucks organization and would not mind furthering those efforts. However, he has also been impressed with internal candidates as well, such as player development director Ryan Johnson and analytics lead Aiden Fox. Rutherford hopes to begin in-person interviews next month, but a hiring announcement could still be a ways away and to this point Rutherford has stuck with his plan not to make any major moves before bringing in another mind to share in the decision.
- The NHL is not alone in dealing with the current COVID surge. The AHL has announced the postponement of three upcoming games, with the Stockton Heat and San Jose Barracuda on Wednesday and the San Diego Gulls and Tucson Roadrunners on Thursday and Sunday being moved to a later date. The league states that California clubs San Jose and San Diego are both in COVID-19 Protocols and unable to compete. Unlike the NHL, if rescheduling these games within the reasonable confines of the teams’ schedules, they could very well become cancellations rather than postponements.
- Down another level, a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect has been moved in the WHL – and for a decent price. 2020 fourth-rounder Lukas Svejkovsky was traded to the Seattle Thunderbirds by the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for a 2022 first-round pick, a conditional 2023 second-round pick, and a conditional 2025 third-round pick. Though of Czech descent, Svejkovsky was in fact born in Florida and is an American citizen and even attended USA Hockey’s junior selection camp. While he did not make the WJC roster, Svejkovsky is still having a banner year. The small, but skilled forward recorded 30 points in 24 games with the Tigers before the move and now heads to a Seattle club that touts the fifth-best record in the WHL.
Coyotes Add Travis Boyd, Matias Maccelli To COVID Protocol
The latest victims of the Coronavirus surge across the NHL come from the desert. Ahead of their Tuesday night game against the San Jose Sharks, the Arizona Coyotes have announced that forwards Travis Boyd and Matias Maccelli have in the NHL’s COVID-19 Protocol. The ‘Yotes do not play again until January 2, so this could be the only missed game for the duo.
This news is still brutal for Maccelli though, who was set to make his NHL debut tonight. Arizona had expressed its excitement for the rookie forward to join the team just earlier this afternoon. Yet, in the current state of the NHL even the reinforcements are no safe bet to make it into the lineup. Maccelli has been a point-per-game player for the Tucson Roadrunners this season and was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for November, so it is understandable why the rebuilding Coyotes are eager to get the promising 21-year-old into some NHL action.
Boyd is quietly one of the Coyotes’ top players this season. Admittedly, the last-place squad is not scoring many goals, but Boyd is still second on the team with seven tallies as well as fourth in points and first with an unbelievable (though unsustainable) 29.2% shooting percentage. Arizona is fortunate that this is likely just a one-game absence, as they can ill-afford to lose Boyd for an extended period of time.
Devante Smith-Pelly Signs AHL PTO
With a growing list of COVID absences in the organization, the Montreal Canadiens and Laval Rocket have turned to alumni to save the day. Devante Smith-Pelly, who played parts of two seasons for Montreal several years ago, has signed a professional tryout contract with Laval.
Smith-Pelly, 29, had a long, productive career in the NHL, spanning more than 400 games between the regular season and playoffs. He even won a Stanley Cup in 2018 with the Washington Capitals, scoring two playoff game-winning goals along the way. The bang-and-crash forward last played in the NHL during the 2018-19 season with Washington, before spending 2019-20 in the KHL and last year in the AHL with the Ontario Reign.
Like with some of the other former NHL players signing odd contracts around the world, one has to wonder whether this contract for Smith-Pelly could actually be a precursor for bigger things. The Olympics are coming in a few months and without NHL participation, Canada will be looking for players to represent the country in Beijing that are currently not contracted to an NHL club. A PTO or an AHL deal should allow Smith-Pelly to participate if he finds himself on Hockey Canada’s radar.
If that ever did occur, it would be a redemption story for the Scarborough native. In 2011, Smith-Pelly had made the Anaheim Ducks out of camp but was loaned to the Canadian World Junior team when the tournament arrived. He was supposed to play a huge role for the club and was named an alternate captain ahead of the event. Unfortunately, while blocking a shot during a game that Canada won easily–the kind of heart-and-soul play that Smith-Pelly would become known for–he suffered a broken foot and would not play again the rest of the tournament. Since then, he hasn’t had another chance to suit up internationally.
Ottawa Senators Recall Matt Murray
Out of pure necessity, the Ottawa Senators have recalled Matt Murray from the AHL. Both Filip Gustavsson and Anton Forsberg are in the COVID protocol, leaving the team without a goaltender on the active roster.
With the Senators off until Friday, there is a chance that Gustavsson could be activated in time to play. But even if he has experienced mild or no symptoms, it may be wise to give him a few days of practice before putting him back in the net. That would leave Murray as the only option, despite him not proving much has changed in the weeks since he was sent to the AHL.
The 27-year-old netminder, who has two Stanley Cups and a hefty contract to his name, was sent to the AHL after another poor start to the season. Since arriving in Ottawa, Murray has an .892 save percentage in 33 appearances, winning just ten of those games. Those numbers improved during his time in the minor leagues, but he was only able to appear in two games for the Belleville Senators given their own COVID issues. The fact that he only faced 61 AHL shots certainly doesn’t inspire much confidence that he’s turned around his game.
Still, the absolute best outcome here for the Senators is Murray playing well enough to stay in the NHL. With a contract that carries a $6.25MM cap hit through the 2023-24 season, getting some value out of the veteran netminder is imperative.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 12/28/21
The NHL is set to return to action today, with three games still scheduled for this evening. While nothing is set in stone anymore, it appears as though the season is finally set to resume. With that in mind, there will be more taxi squad shuffling all across the league as teams prepare, with players coming in and out of the COVID protocol. We’ll keep track of all the taxi squad moves right here.
Atlantic Division
- The Montreal Canadiens have added Louis Belpedio to their taxi squad who has joined them in Tampa Bay ahead of the game tonight. Belpedio, 25, has eight points in 24 games with the Laval Rocket this season and does have four games of NHL experience in his career.
- As the Toronto Maple Leafs get players out of the COVID protocol, they’re making some changes to the taxi squad. Kristians Rubins has been added, while Brett Seney, Alex Steeves, and Joseph Woll have cleared it completely and were assigned to the Toronto Marlies.
Metropolitan Division
- The New York Rangers have recalled Morgan Barron, Jonny Brodzinski, Tim Gettinger, Adam Huska, Zac Jones, and Matthew Robertson to the taxi squad, showing off some of their organizational depth on defense especially. Robertson, 20, isn’t often mentioned when discussing the Rangers’ youngsters, but he too was a relatively high draft pick, selected 49th overall in 2019. The 6’4″ defenseman has five points in 23 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack this season, his first as a pro.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned Kasper Bjorkqvist, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Juuso Riikola, and Louis Domingue to the taxi squad, four players that represent some strong depth for the organization. Joseph’s placement is perhaps the most surprising, given how important his development still is, but he’s proved already that he’s too good for the AHL. The 22-year-old defenseman has 11 points in 16 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season. (UPDATE: According to Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Joseph actually tested positive for COVID today and will not be recalled).
- The New Jersey Devils have assigned Jesper Boqvist and Kevin Bahl to the taxi squad, giving the team some more young talent to practice with in the coming weeks. Bahl, 21, has played four games for the Devils this season and 11 since arriving in a trade from the Arizona Coyotes in 2020.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Cam York, but it’s only to the taxi squad. The top prospect played three games for the Flyers last season but has spent this entire year in the minor leagues to this point.
Central Division
- The Winnipeg Jets have added Mikey Eyssimont to their taxi squad, taking it to two players for the time being. Ville Heinola was recalled to it yesterday, but with another Jets game postponed, they won’t play until Friday. (Update: Heinola has subsequently been loaned back to the Manitoba Moose)
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Matias Maccelli straight from the AHL to the NHL, where he’s expected to make his debut tonight. The 21-year-old forward has 21 points in 21 games for the Tucson Roadrunners in his first season in North America.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Mathieu Olivier from the taxi squad, while sending Cody Glass all the way to the AHL. Glass, the sixth overall pick from 2017, has played just four games for Nashville this season.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Martin Frk, Jacob Moverare, and Alex Turcotte from the taxi squad, while also pulling Jaret Anderson-Dolan straight from the AHL to the NHL roster. The Kings are set to play the Vegas Golden Knights this evening, where Turcotte could potentially make his NHL debut.
- The Seattle Kraken have recalled both Kole Lind and Joey Daccord to the taxi squad, where they can provide a little insurance for the banged-up expansion team. Daccord leaving the Charlotte Checkers leaves them with Christopher Gibson and Devan Dubnyk, the latter of who is still there on a professional tryout.
This page will be updated throughout the day