Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

AHL

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/25/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

North Division

  • The Vancouver Canucks are expected to assign goaltender Michael DiPietro to Utica of the AHL, according to Canucks writer Rick Dhaliwal. Dipietro has been serving as the team’s third goaltender and is on an emergency loan. The netminder has yet to appear in a game in the 2020-21 season and would be best off getting playing time in the AHL where he had a 2.79 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 36 appearances last season. UPDATE: The Canucks have officially loaned DiPietro to Utica.

East Division

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have swapped out some prospects as the team announced it has recalled defenseman Egor Zamula and goaltender Felix Sandstrom from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL to the taxi squad. The team has also assigned defensemen Linus Hogberg and Mason Millman from the taxi squad to Lehigh Valley.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have swapped out goaltenders. The team announced that it has added Daniil Tarasov to the taxi squad, while assigning Matiss Kivlenieks to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Tarasov, one of the team’s top prospects, has struggled in four appearances since arriving from the KHL as he has a 3.23 GAA and a .883 save percentage.
  • The Florida Panthers have added a pair of forwards to their NHL squad as the team has recalled Grigori Denisenko and Aleksi Heponiemi from the taxi squad, according to the AHL transaction page. Denisenko has appeared in two games this season for the Panthers, while Heponiemi has a goal in three games in Florida.

West Division

  • The Vegas Golden Knights have flipped taxi squad goaltenders.  Their AHL affiliate in Henderson announced that Logan Thompson has been recalled to the taxi squad with Oscar Dansk heading to the Silver Knights.  Dansk has made just six starts this season (five in the AHL and one in the NHL) and could certainly benefit from a bit of playing time.  Thompson, meanwhile, has played in 20 minor league contests this year while making his NHL debut, playing eight minutes in relief last month.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have sent Lias Andersson and Daniel Brickley back to Ontario of the AHL per the AHL’s transactions log.  Andersson got into their minor league contest today.  Bokondji Imama was recalled to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Frederik Gauthier and Ivan Prosvetov to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Gauthier has played in just two games with Arizona this season while Prosvetov has made three appearances over the past month, posting a save percentage of just .824.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Snapshots: Cole, Benns, Marlies, Stuart

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Wild defenseman Ian Cole has fit in relatively well since he was acquired early in the season from Colorado, providing a veteran physical presence on their third pairing.  The pending free agent told Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he’d like to stick around beyond this season and McLellan notes that his agent and GM Bill Guerin have talked about the possibility of a new deal for the 32-year-old.  Cole has a $4.25MM AAV (Minnesota is only responsible for just over 81% of that with Colorado carrying the rest) and while he has held down a regular spot in their lineup, he will likely be facing a pay cut on the open market this summer.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Benn brothers have changed representation, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link). Jamie Benn (Stars) and Jordie Benn (Jets) will now be represented by CAA’s J.P. Barry and Bayne Pettinger.  They had previously been represented by Points West Sports and Entertainment’s Rich Evans.  Jamie won’t have to worry about a new contract anytime soon as he has four years left on his current deal that carries a $9.5MM AAV but Jordie is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and has a $2MM price tag this season.
  • Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters, including Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link), that things are progressing with regard to the Marlies’ COVID-19 situation. Their AHL affiliate last played on April 10th before the team was shut down due to protocols.  Keefe also mentioned that there’s no timeline for them to resume playing; their next scheduled game is May 2nd.
  • Former NHL defenseman Mark Stuart is set to be named as an assistant coach at Colorado coach, ESPN’s John Buccigross reports (Twitter link). Stuart last played in 2016-17 and has briefly spent time with AHL Manitoba as a team manager and the University of Vermont as a volunteer coach since retiring.

North Notes: Klefbom, Chabot, Canucks, Lowry

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom has missed the entire season due to a shoulder injury, one that he recently underwent surgery on.  While the surgery went well, the blueliner told reporters, including Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, that there remains no timeline for when he’s able to play next season, if he’s able to return at all:

He said I might play again but there’s always going to be risks and we’ll see where I’m at after the rehab and it’s time to make a decision. We’re going to follow up, many, many times.  I’m not giving up on the NHL. I’ve been playing with pain for many games for a long time but when you’re at home in your apartment or house and you can hardly sleep or put your clothes on, it gets mentally tough.

Klefbom had been an anchor on Edmonton’s back end coming into this season, averaging over 23 minutes a night over his six full-time NHL campaigns and carries a below-market cap hit at a $4.16MM AAV.  However, given the uncertainty surrounding his ability to return at least at the start of next season, the 27-year-old could be left unprotected in this summer’s Seattle expansion draft, something that Klefbom himself acknowledged could make sense given his situation.

More from the North Division:

  • Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot is open to playing at the World Championships, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Normally, such a statement wouldn’t carry much weight but with the pandemic, there are questions as to how many NHL players will be willing to make the trip to Latvia for the tournament which, as things stand, remains set to start on May 21st.
  • As it appears that the Canucks will be looking for a new AHL affiliate, it doesn’t appear as if it will be in their own backyard. Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Province notes that Vancouver hasn’t held any discussions yet with the operator of the Abbotsford Centre, the arena that used to house Calgary’s farm team when it was in British Columbia.  Teams have made more of an effort to get their affiliates closer to their NHL squads in recent years so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them look for a city out West after being in Utica, New York since 2013.
  • Jets center Adam Lowry won’t play tonight after taking a hit to the head from Toronto forward Alex Galchenyuk on Thursday night, notes Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe (Twitter link). Lowry hasn’t been diagnosed with a concussion and the team is holding him out as a precautionary measure.  Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice listed the 28-year-old as day-to-day.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/24/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

North Division

  • The Jets announced that they’ve assigned Ville Heinola from the taxi squad to AHL Manitoba. The 20-year-old was recalled from Manitoba five weeks ago and has played just once since then which is hardly ideal for a prospect.  He’ll get to play more regularly with the Moose for their stretch run.
  • The Flames announced the recalls of Byron Froese and Glenn Gawdin to the taxi squad from AHL Stockton. Both veterans have seen limited duty with Calgary this season; Froese has a goal in six games while Gawdin has been held off the scoresheet in his five contests.

East Division

  • The Devils have swapped taxi squad goalies, recalling Gilles Senn while sending down Evan Cormier, per the AHL’s transactions log. Both goalies have struggled considerably with AHL Binghamton with Senn posting a save percentage of .897 in 13 games while Cormier has managed a mark of just .879 in his seven appearances.
  • The Flyers have brought up Linus Hogberg to the taxi squad while sending Felix Sandstrom back to Lehigh Valley, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Hogberg is in his first season in North America and has five points in 18 AHL games while Sandstrom has a save percentage of just .838 this season.

Central Division

 

West Division

  • The Ducks have recalled Hunter Drew and Maxim Golod from AHL San Diego to the taxi squad while sending Benoit-Olivier Groulx back to the Gulls, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Drew and Golod have had limited roles in the minors and have been recalled before to get other Anaheim players on the taxi squad some playing time which is likely the case with Groulx here.
  • The Kings have recalled Daniel Brickley from AHL Ontario to the taxi squad, per a team announcement. Brickley, a highly sought after college free agent in 2018, has five points in 19 games with the Reign this season and hasn’t seen NHL action since 2018-19.  Meanwhile, Lias Andersson was recalled from the taxi squad; the 2017 first-rounder has two goals in 13 games this season with Los Angeles.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

East Notes: Malkin, Siegenthaler, Chara, Capitals

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin returned to practice on Friday with a non-contact jersey as he continues to work his way back from a lower-body injury that’s believed to be a knee issue, notes Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  The veteran has been out since mid-March and is currently on LTIR.  If he’s able to return between now and the end of the regular season, Pittsburgh will need to clear just over $2.6MM off their books to get cap compliant before he can be activated.  Injuries have limited the 34-year-old to just 29 games this season and he hasn’t been as productive as usual with eight goals and 16 assists in those contests.

More from the East Division:

  • Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler has been placed in COVID protocol, the team announced (Twitter link). New Jersey acquired the 23-year-old earlier this month and had given him a bigger role as Siegenthaler has averaged 17:10 per game in six contests with the Devils after logging just 13:23 per game in seven matches with Washington.  Colton White was recalled to take Siegenthaler’s place in the lineup.
  • The Rangers were among the teams that showed considerable interest in Zdeno Chara last offseason, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post. The 43-year-old was eyed as a mentor to what has become a very young back end with five rearguards aged 23 or younger suiting up against Philadelphia earlier in the week.  However, Chara opted to sign with Washington in the hopes of a long playoff run.  New York is likely going to have a similar desire to add a veteran for next year as well but they may be better served going after someone that can play a bit higher in the lineup.
  • The Capitals will be keeping their AHL coaching staff around for the foreseeable future as the team announced recently that head coach Spencer Carbery, assistant coach Patrick Wellar, and associate goalie coach Alex Westlund have all signed multi-year contract extensions. Carbery is in his third season at the helm with Hershey with the Bears posting a .702 points percentage over that span.  Hershey has a 16-5-2 record this season to lead the seven-team North Division in points with 34.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/23/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

West Division

  • Joachim Blichfeld has been realled to the San Jose Sharks taxi squad. The 22-year-old forward actually earned himself a suspension in his season debut and has spent most of the year at the minor league level. He’s been outstanding in the AHL, scoring 12 goals and 22 points in 25 games.

North Division

  • The Winnipeg Jets have flipped practice goalies, sending Eric Comrie to the AHL and recalling Mikhail Berdin. The 23-year-old Berdin is a very intriguing prospect despite his low draft profile after strong play in the minor leagues and KHL.

Central Division

East Division

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have returned Pascal Laberge to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, recalling Mason Millman to the taxi squad once again. Millman, 19, hasn’t played in the NHL yet but is getting tons of professional experience this season, a year that he would normally have been limited to OHL hockey.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Championship Notes: North Division, Calder Cup, Women’s Worlds

at CDT | by 3 Comments

As the Stanley Cup Playoffs creep closer and closer and there has been no change at the Canadian border, it is seeming more and more likely that there will be some form of relocation in the postseason. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the NHL is not rushing to any conclusions, waiting to see if border policies are relaxed, but have to evaluate alternative plans for the North Division winner to be able to compete in the semifinals and Cup Final this season. Dreger notes that there is still hope that playoff games will take place in Canada this season, but it is not guaranteed at this point. Of the three possibilities that the league is considering, obviously the ideal result would be that border policies will be changed or at least NHL teams will be made a special exception, allowing the final two playoff rounds to take place in the North Division winner’s home city as usual. The next-best scenario is likely that the North Division playoffs will take place in home cities and only once a winner is decided will they move to an American city in order to continue on in the postseason. However, Dreger notes that the third option could see all four North Division playoff teams adopt the same U.S. home for their own divisional series, more similar to the bubble format seen last season. For the Canadian teams and their fans, this is probably their least-favorite outcome, but if the status quo remains at the border and provincial policies remain tight as well, it may be the only way for those clubs to make a league-wide postseason work.

  • For the second season in a row, the Calder Cup will not be awarded. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that the AHL has abandoned hope of a league-wide postseason this season. The league is still evaluating the logistics of divisional playoffs, but with multiple divisions all of different sizes, a blanket format would be difficult to implement. Seravalli adds that without a championship to pursue and no financial incentive for players and many teams to play beyond the regular season, the AHL’s divisional playoffs may also be on an opt-in basis for both clubs and individuals. It would not be a surprise to see the minor league simply come to an end after their regular season schedule ends, allowing those players to join the parent club for their postseason run.
  • While the cancelation of the Women’s World Championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia has been a major story this week, Dreger reports that the odds are slim that the event will not happen at all. Instead, he notes that a number of locales have reached out about hosting the tournament. They include a number of fellow Canadian locations, such as Edmonton, Ottawa, and Price Edward Island, as well as Dallas, Texas and even a bid from Finland. By the time the IIHF is able to choose a new host and then re-plan the tournament, the Women’s Worlds are not expected to occur until late August or September. However, anything is better than the tournament being outright canceled altogether.

Jack Quinn Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

at CDT | by 1 Comment

11:45am: The Sabres have announced that the surgery to repair a hernia was successful and confirmed that Quinn will miss the rest of the season. His recovery timeline has been put at six weeks, meaning he should be fully healthy by the time training camp starts for 2021-22.

10:30am: When the OHL season was officially canceled, it was good news for players like Jack Quinn. The Buffalo Sabres prospect could continue playing in the AHL where he is not usually eligible, speeding up his development timetable by playing against professionals on a nightly basis. For Quinn specifically, the news isn’t so great. Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News is reporting that the young forward will undergo season-ending surgery on a lower-body injury that he has been dealing with for months. Because the decision was made now, Quinn will have time to train this summer after his recovery.

Though he might have just two goals in 15 games at the AHL level, the 19-year-old Quinn was coming along quite nicely in his post-draft year. Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News notes that the young forward had been playing center for the Rochester Americans and was likely in line to make his NHL debut at some point near the end of the season. The 8th overall pick in 2020, Quinn’s year will end with just nine points in 15 AHL games, though he also did take home a silver medal as part of Team Canada at the World Juniors.

It’s not an entirely lost year, but it certainly hasn’t been an easy one. Remember that Quinn and his Ottawa 67’s were denied an opportunity to play for a Memorial Cup in 2020. The team was 50-11-1 on the season, with Quinn and Minnesota Wild prospect Marco Rossi dominating on different lines. Now, a year later Quinn’s season comes to a disappointing end again.

Important to note that because he will not play seven games in the NHL this season, Quinn’s entry-level contract will slide forward a season. He will now be scheduled to reach restricted free agency after the 2023-24 season.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/22/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

West Division

North Division

  • The Winnipeg Jets have reorganized their taxi squad today, sending Nelson Nogier, Joona Luoto and Dominic Toninato down to the AHL. C.J. Suess and Luke Green have been recalled from the Manitoba Moose to take their place for the time being.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have returned Guillaume Brisebois to the Utica Comets after he spent some time filling in on the taxi squad and even playing for the NHL team a few days ago.
  • Stefan Noesen showed up at Toronto Maple Leafs practice today, joining the taxi squad now that his quarantine is over. The depth forward had been in the minor leagues for the Sharks before a trade brought him to Canada at the deadline.

Central Division

  • Just like most days, the Detroit Red Wings have flipped their practice goaltenders, sending Kaden Fulcher to the taxi squad and Kevin Boyle to the AHL.

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/21/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

West Division

  • The Colorado Avalanche have several new additions to their taxi squad.  Their AHL affiliate announced that Martin Kaut, Keaton Middleton, Miikka Salomaki, and Adam Werner were all promoted to the taxi squad with Jayson Megna being sent down.  Those recalls were needed with the promotions of Jonas Johansson, Conor Timmins, and Kiefer Sherwood on emergency loans to the NHL roster, per CapFriendly.
  • The Minnesota Wild have recalled Nico Sturm from the taxi squad on an emergency basis, per CapFriendly.  The 25-year-old has six goals and four assists in 38 games played this season while logging a little less than 11 minutes per game.
  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled Joel Kellman on an emergency basis from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  He scored his first goal of the season back on Saturday and has played in six games so far.  Jacob Middleton was recalled to the taxi squad from the minors in a corresponding move.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights recalled Dylan Sikura to the taxi squad and then promoted him to the active roster later in the day, per CapFriendly.  Tonight will be his first NHL game of the year after playing in 47 contests with Chicago over parts of the last three seasons.

North Division

  • The Montreal Canadiens are flying Charlie Lindgren to Edmonton on a private charter to serve as the team’s taxi squad goaltender. Lindgren will not have to face quarantine restrictions, giving Montreal another goalie to help out while Carey Price is dealing with a concussion.  Cayden Primeau was recalled from the taxi squad to take Price’s place, per CapFriendly.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled James Neal from the taxi squad while also activating Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off injured reserve.  Neal is likely taking the place of Jujhar Khaira on the active roster after he was shaken up early in Monday’s game against Montreal.  Nugent-Hopkins, meanwhile, has missed the last two weeks with a concussion.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have sent Ashton Sautner and Michael DiPietro back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both players had been up on emergency recalls as Vancouver is missing several players due to injuries and COVID-19.  Guillaume Brisebois was also sent to the minors.

Central Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have once again flipped Kevin Boyle and Kaden Fulcher between the taxi squad and AHL, with the latter joining the Grand Rapids Griffins this time. The team consistently swaps their depth goalies back and forth to keep them playing.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have returned Jake Bean, Morgan Geekie, and Max McCormick to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The three are no strangers to being shuffled back and forth and as they were all up on emergency recall, they won’t count against Carolina’s limit if they’re needed again for tomorrow’s game against Florida.
  • The Dallas Stars have sent Ty Dellandrea and Taylor Fedun back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both players were recalled yesterday on emergency loans although Dellandrea was the only one who suited up against Detroit.
  • The Nashville Predators have brought up Tanner Jeannot from the taxi squad while sending Philip Tomasino back to the AHL from the taxi squad.  Jeannot has two goals in six games this season while Tomasino has 20 points in just 18 games in his first professional season.

East Division

  • After bringing them both up yesterday, the New Jersey Devils have sent Brett Seney and Nate Schnarr back to the AHL. Schnarr, 22, is still waiting for his first chance at the NHL level but has six goals and 11 points in 20 games for the Binghamton Devils this year.  Connor Carrick and Matt Tennyson were also sent back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Mason Millman to the taxi squad from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Millman, 19, is one of the prospects who should have gone back to the OHL, had the junior league ever been able to start this season. He’ll get a taste of NHL life will on the taxi squad, though it is unlikely he actually gets into a game.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have loaned Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 22-year-old is viewed as their potential starter of the future and despite having a tough year in the minors, he’s expected to make his NHL debut in the coming days.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top