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AHL

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/10/21

March 10, 2021 at 11:39 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 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

  • With Jonathan Quick battling injury and Calvin Petersen landing on the CPRA list, the Los Angeles Kings have been forced to recall Troy Grosenick from the taxi squad and Matt Villalta from the AHL’s Ontario Reign to take over in net. Grosenick is expected to make his first NHL start since 2014 on Wednesday night. Rookie defenseman Tobias Bjornfot has also been promoted from the taxi squad and should play tonight.

North Division

  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Patrick Russell from the taxi squad, moving Evan Bouchard back to it in his place. William Lagesson has also been activated off injured reserve, while Kyle Turris–who remains in the NHL’s COVID Protocol–has been designated as non-roster.

Central Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have moved Alex Biega to the taxi squad, where he has spent most of the season. The 32-year-old defenseman has played just three games for the team this season, averaging fewer than 12 minutes a night.
  • The Dallas Stars have recalled Colton Point from the AHL, sending Landon Bow back in his place. Rhett Gardner has been moved to the taxi squad. The Texas Stars have a four-game homestand coming up starting on Friday and they will likely use it to get some action for both goaltenders.

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned Josh Currie to the AHL, where he is actually serving as captain this season. While he has just 22 games of NHL experience, Currie has been excellent in the minor leagues, scoring 106 goals in his 301-game AHL career.
  • After being up with the New Jersey Devils for just one day, Ben Street has been returned to the AHL. The 34-year-old veteran has 11 points in 10 games with Binghamton this season and is one of their most important forwards. The team has also assigned Michael McLeod to the taxi squad, brought up Joshua Jacobs and Nicholas Merkley from Binghamton, and sent Connor Carrick and Brett Seney back in their place.
  • The New York Islanders have moved Jakub Skarek to the AHL for the day in order to get him some game action, and, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, are expected to recall him back to the taxi squad afterward.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

AHL| Transactions Taxi Squad

0 comments

Robin Lehner Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

March 10, 2021 at 11:19 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

The Vegas Golden Knights have been riding the hot hand of Marc-Andre Fleury for most of the season, but they actually have another goaltender that was expected to demand the majority of starts. Robin Lehner, who signed a five-year, $25MM contract with the Golden Knights after landing in Vegas last season, has just five appearances because of injury. His last start was over a month ago, but it appears as though his return on the horizon. Lehner has been assigned to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights on a conditioning loan, though the release says he will just practice with the team.

The Golden Knights have also announced that Logan Thompson has been recalled to the team’s active roster and Patrick Brown has been added to the taxi squad. Oscar Dansk and Tyrell Goulbourne have been assigned to the AHL.

Even though Lehner is coming back soon, it doesn’t mean the Golden Knights should move away from Fleury. The 36-year-old is off to the best start of his 17-year career, posting a .943 save percentage through 16 appearances. Four of those have been shutouts to lead the league, one of many categories he is at the top of. Despite being one of the most experienced goaltenders in NHL history—Fleury has played more regular season games than all but just 11 goaltenders—he has only received Vezina Trophy votes on four occasions and never been a finalist. That seems destined to change this season, unless his play falls off dramatically over the next few months.

Lehner meanwhile has received Vezina Trophy votes in each of the last two seasons and was a finalist in 2019 when he won the William M. Jennings with the New York Islanders. Despite a well-traveled career, he has a strong .918 save percentage and was great for Vegas in last year’s playoffs. There’s no question that he deserves some of the starts once he proves healthy enough to rejoin the NHL squad, but how the pie is divided will be a tough task for head coach Pete DeBoer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

AHL| Injury| Loan| Vegas Golden Knights Robin Lehner

4 comments

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Daniel Walcott

March 10, 2021 at 10:45 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced an extension for one of their minor league veterans last night, inking Daniel Walcott to a new two-year contract. The two-way deal will cover the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons and keep Walcott from becoming an unrestricted free agent later this summer.

Now 27, Walcott was originally selected in the fifth round of the 2014 draft as a defenseman but has played mostly forward of late during his minor league career. With the Syracuse Crunch since 2015, he now wears an “A” as an alternate captain. He never has played in the NHL and if he does, it will likely come as a fourth-line injury replacement.

Still, the Crunch have always valued the leadership that AHL veterans bring and Walcott has now been rewarded with a nice two-year contract. The financial details of the contract were not included in the press release, but his cap hit will almost assuredly stay buried anyway.

AHL| Tampa Bay Lightning

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Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/09/21

March 9, 2021 at 2:21 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 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 San Jose Sharks have returned Noah Gregor and Alexander True to the minor leagues today as the team waits for its next matchup later this week. Gregor has now played 15 games in the NHL this season, recording three goals. The Sharks hit the ice on Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks.  John Leonard, Joachim Blichfeld, and Fredrik Claesson were also assigned to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have returned Akil Thomas, Samuel Fagemo, and Matthew Villalta to the AHL, recalling Austin Strand in the process. Troy Grosenick went down and then back up today, perhaps changing his emergency recall to a normal one while Rasmus Kupari was also sent back to the taxi squad.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have sent several players down as they’re not in action tonight.  Per CapFriendly, Greg Pateryn, Logan O’Connor, and Jayson Megna were all returned to the taxi squad while Ty Lewis was sent to the minors.
  • The Minnesota Wild have returned Kyle Rau to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 28-year-old has played in six games so far this season, logging 8:33 per night while being held off the scoresheet.
  • The St. Louis Blues have assigned Steven Santini and Jake Walman to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  They also sent Joel Hofer to AHL Utica to get some playing time after serving as the taxi squad goalie so far this season.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have sent Dylan Coghlan to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The rookie has played in 11 games on the back end this season, picking up one assist.  Jiri Patera was also activated off season-opening injured reserve and was assigned to AHL Henderson.

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have assigned Matthew Peca back to the taxi squad.  The 27-year-old has played in five games with Ottawa this season, picking up one assist while averaging 8:53 per game.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have loaned Paul Byron and Jesperi Kotkaniemi to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Byron has been sent down on non-game days since clearing waivers last month while Montreal has rotated shuffling their waiver-exempt players to the taxi squad to free up a bit more cap room as well.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs assigned Mikko Lehtonen to the taxi squad while recalling Kenny Agostino, per CapFriendly.  Agostino has 85 career NHL games under his belt but last saw action at the top level in 2018-19 with Montreal and New Jersey.

Central Division

  • Antoine Bibeau has been recalled to the Carolina Hurricanes taxi squad, where he will serve as the third goaltender while Petr Mrazek continues to deal with an injury. The 26-year-old Bibeau has a .901 save percentage in three games with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL this season.  His presence on the taxi squad was needed with Alex Nedeljkovic (along with Jake Bean) getting recalled to the active roster, per CapFriendly, as is their normal game-day activity.
  • The Dallas Stars have recalled Joel Kiviranta and Rhett Gardner from the taxi squad, sending Justin Dowling—who cleared waivers earlier today—back in their place. Kirivanta, 24, has four points in 11 games this season for the Stars.
  • The Florida Panthers have called up Owen Tippett from the taxi squad after moving Markus Nutivaara to injured reserve. Tippett, the tenth pick in the 2017 draft, still has just three points on the season and four in his 22-game NHL career.
  • A day after getting sent to the taxi squad, the Columbus Blue Jackets assigned Veini Vehvilainen to AHL Cleveland, per CapFriendly.  The 24-year-old has been limited to just two total appearances this season, one in the NHL and one in the minors.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Nicolas Beaudin, Reese Johnson, and Lucas Carlsson from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Meanwhile, Ian Mitchell, who has played in every game so far this season, was sent to the taxi squad.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Alex Biega and Michael Rasmussen from the taxi squad while sending Valtteri Filppula to the taxi squad.  Filppula recently cleared waivers and is likely to be sent down on non-game days for a while.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Alex Barre-Boulet from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 23-year-old made his NHL debut last month in a game against Carolina where he played 12:11.

East Division

  • The New York Rangers have recalled Patrick Khodorenko to the taxi squad, a move they’ve done a few times now this season. Khodorenko is still waiting for his first NHL action after signing a three-year entry-level contract last year. The 22-year-old center has just one point in seven AHL games this season.  Kaapo Kakko, K’Andre Miller, and Keith Kinkaid were also recalled from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • Ben Street has been recalled to the New Jersey Devils taxi squad after another excellent start to his AHL campaign. The minor league veteran has 11 points in ten games for the Binghamton Devils, continuing the point-per-game pace he has carried for years in the AHL.  Michael McLeod was also recalled from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Henri Jokiharju, bringing him back to the active roster and moving Brandon Davidson to the taxi squad. Jokiharju, an important part of the Sabres future, hasn’t been playing up to his standard this season and has just two points in 17 games.
  • The Boston Bruins recalled quite a few players in advance of their game against the Islanders.  Per CapFriendly, Urho Vaakanainen, Jack Studnicka, Trent Frederic, and Steven Kampfer were all recalled to the taxi squad while Dan Vladar was added to the taxi squad and then recalled on an emergency basis.

AHL| Transactions Taxi Squad

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Trade Deadline Primer: Buffalo Sabres

March 8, 2021 at 9:17 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

Although we’re not even two months into the season, the trade deadline is just over a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Buffalo Sabres.

No team has received more media scrutiny this season than the Buffalo Sabres. The team is floundering yet again despite adding the top free agent forward in Taylor Hall and acquiring veteran center Eric Staal. Not only have Hall and Staal disappointed, but very few members of the team have exceeded or even met expectations this season. With failing veterans, stalled youngsters, and a number of expiring contracts, the Sabres are stuck and appear primed for a fire sale and resumed focus on rebuilding.

According to a number of sources, almost anyone on the Sabres could be made available. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Buffalo is “wide open” for business and The Athletic included four Sabres on their Trade Deadline Big Board. It all sounds very exciting to the other 30 teams and their fans, doesn’t it? Well, don’t get your hopes too high for major moves by Buffalo. Given the constraints of an NHL trade market impacted by a flat salary cap as well as real-life financial struggles, not to mention the restrictions on Canadian teams due to COVID-19 border policies, making trades this year is no easy feat. Trading a player like Jack Eichel in-season seems nearly impossible, even if the Sabres wanted to move him which is unlikely. Add in that rookie GM Kevyn Adams is new to the job and trying to build connections in a quiet market while trying to avoid being taken advantage of, and the Sabres suddenly look like a team that might end up playing it safe. Does Adams really want to move the likes of Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson, both of whom are among the productive minority in Buffalo, when the odds of winning such a move seem slim? Does he want to potentially overreact to the frustrations of Jeff Skinner and give away major assets to move his contract? Adams has a number of contracts expiring after this year and next that he can move without much risk of it coming back to bite him. Expect that “wide open” means he’s willing to move any amount of those players, but won’t be too keen to touch anyone else who the team may still be able to build around.

Record

6-14-3, .326, 8th in East Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$410,962 in full-season cap space, 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, BUF 4th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th
2022: BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, BUF 3rd, BUF 4th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th

Trade Chips

Hall of course stands out as the top trade chip for the Sabres if you assume that the likes of Eichel, Reinhart, Olofsson, and Rasmus Dahlin are not going anywhere (a safe assumption despite the whispers). The former Hart Trophy winner may not be enjoying a strong season, but he is a known commodity who can play a top-six role for any team in the league. Hall has expressed some interest in re-signing with Buffalo, but without any evidence that he is a fit and with a ways to go in their rebuild, retaining the 29-year-old Hall on a heavy price tag makes little sense. The trouble with trading him though is a potential lack of suitors who can actually afford his $8MM cap hit. A lack of demand could impact what Buffalo is able to receive in a deal, but they should still end up with a nice package. Anything is better than letting him walk for free this summer.

Staal too could see his time in Buffalo come to a quick end. The veteran center is well-respected across the league and brings solid two-way play and postseason experience. While he has lost a step, that won’t stop contenders from seeing him as a worthwhile depth addition.

On defense, Brandon Montour is absolutely on the block. The puck-moving defenseman is headed for free agency and the Sabres have made it known that they are open to renting him out. Montour has not produced as they had hoped and is no longer in their long-term plans, so Buffalo has no reason not to trade the 26-year-old defenseman. Given his offensive upside, his ability to play either side of the blue line, and his palatable $3.85MM cap hit, Montour should be easy to move. Sadly, Jake McCabe also would have been easy to move and would have returned a prime package as arguably the best left-handed defenseman on a trade deadline seller. However, his season is over due to injury and the Sabres will lose out on his trade value.

Even with Montour and McCabe out of the way this off-season, the Sabres still face a potential expansion conundrum on defense. Should Buffalo choose to protect seven forwards and three defensemen, Dahlin is a lock but it leaves only two spots to split between top-four blue liners Rasmus Ristolainen and Colin Miller and young Henri Jokiharju. The Sabres could choose to move one of the three rather than lose them for nothing to the Seattle Kraken. Ristolainen had long been a fixture on the rumor mill, but those talks have cooled significantly since last season. Do the Sabres finally move the talented defenseman, especially as his stock has risen this season? Ristolainen only has one season remaining on his contract and could be tempted to pursue a more talented team in free agency after playing exclusively for Buffalo thus far in his pro career. Miller also has just one year remaining on his deal and comes with a lesser price tag than Ristolainen, albeit with a less complete game as well. Jokijarju, 21, is not necessarily safe either; the young rearguard has not met expectations thus far in his time with the Sabres but he does have impressive upside.

In net, Buffalo will see both members of their NHL tandem hit the open market this summer barring an extension. The Sabres may be well-served to extend 27-year-old Linus Ullmark, but if the feeling isn’t mutual then they should move the net minder while he can still return value. If Ullmark is healthy, he could be a major trade chip for the Sabres. Veteran Carter Hutton is less likely to move given his struggles and his $2.75MM cap hit, but Buffalo will certainly make him available.

Others to Watch For: F Curtis Lazar ($800K, one year remaining), F Tobias Rieder ($700K, UFA), F Riley Sheahan ($700K, UFA), D Matt Irwin ($700K, UFA)

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks – Sabres fans rightfully want their team to be better and they want them to be better sooner rather than later. However, that isn’t easy to do. A rookie GM with few impact players and little cap space doesn’t have the means to immediately upgrade his roster. This team is headed toward a long, arduous rebuild. What makes accepting that reality even more difficult is that the Sabres do not even have their full complement of draft picks to build upon. Missing a third and a fifth this year and a fifth next year, Buffalo is in the unfortunate position of needing to add talent to their pipeline and don’t even have the complete means to do so. The goal for Adams and company at the deadline should be not only to recoup their missing picks but to add other high-value picks as well.

2) Prospects – If the Sabres are unable to add valuable future prospects in the form of high draft picks, they need to target current top prospects instead. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked Buffalo’s pipeline as 15th-best in the NHL, an unacceptable position for a team that is supposed to be rebuilding. The Sabres need to move from middle-of-the-pack toward the top of the NHL’s prospect rankings if they want to speed up their rebuild. A projected top-four defenseman and center depth should be the specific targets of their aim to add youth.

AHL| Buffalo Sabres| Deadline Primer 2021| Expansion| Free Agency| Seattle Kraken Brandon Montour| Carter Hutton| Colin Miller| Curtis Lazar| Eric Staal| Henri Jokiharju| Jack Eichel| Jeff Skinner| Kevyn Adams| Linus Ullmark| Matt Irwin| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals| Salary Cap

4 comments

Ducks Notes: Eakins, Getzlaf, Heinen, Tracey

March 8, 2021 at 7:17 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 8 Comments

The Anaheim Ducks are off to another poor start this season, currently sitting in last place in the West Division with the fourth-worst record in the NHL. They aren’t trending in the right direction either; at 1-6-3, no team in the league has been as bad as the Ducks over their past ten games. Although head coach Dallas Eakins is only in his second season with Anaheim, there is still growing scrutiny of his failures so far and speculation as to his job security. After all, Eakins was brought in to lead the rebuild in Anaheim due to his past success with young players, yet many of the young Ducks continue to fall short of expectations. Eakins’ conservative style has also stymied the team’s offensive potential, as they sit second-to-last in the NHL in scoring with just 2.16 goals per game this season.

However, in the eyes of his general manager there is no need for Eakins to worry about his job just yet. Speaking with the media, Ducks GM Bob Murray gave a firm vote of confidence to his head coach. “I’ve got total confidence in Dallas,” Murray said. “I think he’s doing a pretty good job right now with everything that’s going on. I have no issues whatsoever. I have no problem with Dallas.” Despite this emphatic note of support, Murray did state later in the press conference that he expected the team to better this season. So if the blame does not lie with Eakins, could it fall on Murray? Many believe that the veteran GM could also be in danger of losing his job. If that is the case, Eakins’ own job security may only be as good as that of the man who hired him. Something has to change in Anaheim and ownership may soon step in and make changes.

  • As for one major change that Ducks fans are hoping to avoid, Murray shared some news that they will find comforting. With rumors floating around that long-time captain Ryan Getzlaf could be traded, Murray made no qualms about his thoughts on that matter. “I’m tired of hearing this… how his name is out there,” Murray said, “the only way Ryan Getzlaf would go anywhere is if he came to me and said, ’Bob, can you try and trade me to a contender?’ As an impending free agent who would be a desirable rental even at his advanced age, there is certainly value in moving Getzlaf. However, the career Duck has earned the right to decide his own future. According to Murray, the two sides will wait to see how Getzlaf feels both physically and mentally about continuing his career and doing so in Anaheim, but he calls the relationship “wonderful” and is open to an extension if Getzlaf is.
  • One player who seems likely to be traded or, if not, unlikely to return next season is Danton Heinen. Still only in his first season with the Ducks, Heinen’s name did not emerge as a trade candidate until a string of healthy scratches and then a very public negotiation between the Ducks and Vancouver Canucks that included he and Jake Virtanen. In over a week since that hypothetical deal went viral, Heinen has been scratched in three of the Ducks five games. In the two games he has played, Heinen has been held without a point or even a shot on goal, is a -2, and has seen a notable drop-off in ice time. Heinen simply does not seem to be a fit in Anaheim and as an impending free agent will see his time with the team come to an end soon, one way or another. If there is interest in acquiring the winger, who recorded 47 points as a rookie with the Boston Bruins just three years ago, then he will surely be traded. If not, he will walk this summer and have to look for a fresh start elsewhere.
  • A young player who the Ducks will not rush into their rebuild this year is Brayden Tracey. The 2019 first-rounder is under contract and has already played a dozen AHL games this season, but his time in the pros won’t go any further in 2020-21. The San Diego Gulls have announced that Tracey has been reassigned to his junior club, the WHL’s Victoria Royals, to play out the rest of the season. With the Ducks having been criticized for bringing too many of their current top prospects to the NHL before they were ready, they will let Tracey continue to develop against his own peers instead. The 19-year-old forward has shown great skill at the junior level, but was held scoreless in the minors and will be grateful to re-discover his scoring touch back in the WHL.

AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Dallas Eakins| Prospects| Vancouver Canucks| WHL Danton Heinen

8 comments

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/08/21

March 8, 2021 at 11:14 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 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 Minnesota Wild have moved Matt Bartkowski down to the AHL, after spending the last few weeks on the taxi squad without playing. Bartkowski has actually played just a single game at any level this season.
  • The AHL’s Ontario Reign have lost a trio of their top players in one fell swoop. Top prospect forwards Akil Thomas and Samuel Fagemo have been promoted to the taxi squad while goaltender Troy Grosenick has been recalled directly to the Los Angeles Kings. Another top prospect, Rasmus Kupari, has also joined the Kings from the taxi squad. L.A. has reassigned defenseman Daniel Brickley from the taxi squad to Ontario.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Elvis Merzlikins off injured reserve, meaning it’s back to the taxi squad for Veini Vehvilainen. The team has barely had Merzlikins at all this season, getting just nine appearances so far out of the 26-year-old.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Taylor Raddysh and Spencer Martin from the AHL, adding them to the taxi squad. Gemel Smith and Christopher Gibson have been sent down in their place. Raddysh, who was a second-round pick in 2016, still hasn’t played an NHL game but is a strong contributor at the minor league level.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Collin Delia from his conditioning stint, while also recalling Nicolas Beaudin, Reese Johnson, and Brandon Pirri to the taxi squad. Matt Tomkins is on his way to the AHL to make room. Chicago
  • Joel Kiviranta and Joel L’Esperance have been moved to the taxi squad by the Dallas Stars. The 24-year-old Kiviranta has four points in 11 games this season after his breakout postseason performance in last year’s bubble, where he had five goals in 14 games.
  • The Florida Panthers have reversed a recent move, recalling Riley Stillman from the taxi squad while replacing him with rookie Girgori Denisenko. Also headed down to the taxi squad is veteran defenseman Kevin Connauton. 

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Maxime Lagace and Frederick Gaudreau from the AHL to the taxi squad, sending Emil Larmi and Josh Currie the other way. The Penguins had a big win yesterday against the Rangers and today waived Colton Sceviour.

North Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

AHL| Transactions Taxi Squad

0 comments

Minor Transactions: 03/07/21

March 7, 2021 at 6:55 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

While it has been relatively quiet on the transaction front in recent days, there have been a few moves of some note from the AHL.  Here is a rundown of those.

  • Jordan Nolan’s time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has come to an end as Pittsburgh has released the winger from their affiliate, relays Tyler Piccotti of the Citizens’ Voice (Twitter link). Nolan had been away since mid-February with head coach J.D. Forrest calling the move a mutual decision.  The 31-year-old played in two games with the Baby Pens and last saw NHL action back in 2018-19 with St. Louis.
  • While a handful of undrafted college free agents will sign NHL deals in the coming weeks, many more will sign AHL agreements. The Rangers have jumped into that market as their farm team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed winger James Sanchez to an AHL deal.  The 23-year-old just wrapped up his NCAA career, spending the last two seasons with Arizona State.  In 26 games this season, he had five goals and 11 assists after putting up 40 points in 36 games in 2019-20.
  • With the WHL season underway in some divisions and starting soon in others, several players have recently been released from AHL tryouts to head back to their respective teams. Colorado is the latest team to do so as they’ve released goalie Trent Miner and winger Sasha Mutala from their AHL deals, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Miner, a 2019 seventh-round pick, will head to Vancouver while Mutala, a fourth-rounder that same year, is off to Tri-City.  In a corresponding move, the Avs re-assigned winger Ty Lewis from ECHL Utah to AHL Colorado.
  • The Kings have re-assigned goaltender Jacob Ingham from Greenville of the ECHL to AHL Ontario per the AHL’s transactions log. The 20-year-old is in the first season of his entry-level contract and has posted a 3.90 GAA with a .859 SV% in his first five professional appearances.

AHL| ECHL| Transactions

0 comments

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/07/21

March 7, 2021 at 11:34 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 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:

Central Division

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled two players from the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL and assigned them to the taxi squad. NHL.com’s Brandon Cain reports that forwards Brandon Pirri and Tim Soderlund have been recalled, while the team has assigned Mikael Hakkarainen and Brad Morrison from the taxi squad to the AHL.  Defensemen Wyatt Kalynuk and Lucas Carlsson were later recalled to Chicago from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • The Nashville Predators announced they have recalled forward Rem Pitlick and defenseman Ben Harpur from the taxi squad. The team has also assigned defenseman Alexandre Carrier to the taxi squad. Pitlick has yet to play for the Predators this year but has eight goals in eight games with the Chicago Wolves.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have once again recalled goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Petr Mrazek isn’t quite ready to return so Nedeljkovic will serve as the backup.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced that they’ve returned forward Michael Rasmussen to the taxi squad.  He played more than 15 minutes on Thursday night and has three assists in ten games this season.
  • The Florida Panthers returned forward Owen Tippett to the taxi squad, reports George Richards of Florida Hockey Now.  He has played in 15 games this season but just once over the last two weeks.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled defenseman Andreas Borgman from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  With Jan Rutta dealing with an injury, Borgman will make his season debut.

East Division

  • The Buffalo Sabres announced they have recalled forward Casey Mittelstadt and defenseman Brandon Davidson from the taxi squad. The team will also return blueliner Henri Jokiharju to the taxi squad. The 22-year-old Mittelstadt has appeared in seven games for Buffalo with a goal and three points. The 29-year-old Davidson has appeared in just three games with the Sabres.
  • With the Boston Bruins back in action today, they recalled defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and forward Jack Studnicka from the taxi squad plus Zach Senyshyn from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • The New Jersey Devils recalled forward Michael McLeod from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 23-year-old has played in 19 games so far this season, recording three goals and one assist.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers recalled forward Connor Bunnaman from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The second-year winger has played in 15 games in 2020-21, picking up one assist.  Defenseman Nate Prosser was sent to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.

North Division

  • The Montreal Canadiens announced they have recalled forward Laurent Dauphin and defenseman Xavier Ouellet from the Laval Rocket and assigned them to the team’s taxi squad for their upcoming road trip to Western Canada. Both are likely to assist if injuries mount on that six-game, 10-day trip.  Forward Paul Byron was also assigned to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • As their usual paper transaction, the Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled defenseman Erik Brannstrom from the taxi squad and returned Braydon Coburn to the taxi squad. The 21-year-old Brannstrom has two goals and five points in 11 games since joining the Senators’ rotation last month.
  • The Calgary Flames recalled forward Zac Rinaldo from the taxi squad, sending defenseman Oliver Kylington to the taxi squad in a corresponding move, per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960.  Rinaldo has played just once this season, playing just 2:04.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled defenseman Mikko Lehtonen from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 27-year-old was a top point producer in the KHL but has managed just three assists in nine games so far this season.

West Division

  • The Anaheim Ducks made their usual flurry of moves, assigning forwards Trevor Zegras and Vinni Lettieri and defenseman Josh Mahura to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  To make room on the taxi squad for those three, forward Chase De Leo and defenseman Andy Welinski were sent to AHL San Diego.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have loaned forward Frederik Gauthier to the taxi squad and sent goaltender David Tendeck to the minors, per CapFriendly.  Goaltender Adin Hill was also recalled from his conditioning loan.
  • The Colorado Avalanche changed around their taxi squad, sending forwards Logan O’Connor, Kiefer Sherwood, and Jayson Megna to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  In corresponding moves, forwards Nick Henry and Travis Barron were sent to AHL Colorado.
  • The Los Angeles Kings sent two players down on their off day, assigning defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and Rasmus Kupari to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Additionally, defensemen Cole Hults and Markus Phillips plus forward Aidan Dudas were sent to AHL Ontario while defenseman Daniel Brickley was recalled to the taxi squad.
  • The Minnesota Wild assigned forward Kyle Rau to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  He has played in each of the last three games for Minnesota, averaging just over eight minutes per game in that stretch.
  • The San Jose Sharks loaned forward Noah Gregor and defenseman Frederik Claesson to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Gregor has played in 13 games this season with the Sharks while Claesson has suited up four times.
  • The St. Louis Blues sent forward Dakota Joshua and defenseman Jake Walman back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both players have been recalled on game days and sent down when the Blues aren’t in action over the past week or so.

AHL| Transactions Taxi Squad

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Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/06/21

March 6, 2021 at 11:59 am CDT | by Zach Leach 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:

Central Division

  • The Nashville Predators continue to keep busy by making roster transactions in bunches on a regular basis. Today, the team has recalled forward Mathieu Olivier and defenseman Alexandre Carrier from the taxi squad while reassigning forward Michael McCarron to the squad. Additionally, forward Tanner Jeannot to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. None of these players are any stranger to the shuffle this season.
  • The Florida Panthers will inject some youth into their forward corps today, calling up top prospects Owen Tippett and Grigori Denisenko from the taxi squad. Defenseman Riley Stillman heads in the other direction.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Wyatt Kalynuk and Lucas Carlsson, after moving Dylan Strome to injured reserve with his concussion issue. Strome is on IR retroactive to Feb 19, meaning he can come back whenever healthy enough.
  • Ty Dellandrea and Joel L’Esperance have been recalled from the taxi squad as the Dallas Stars prepare for action against Columbus tonight. Dellandrea, one of the Stars’ top prospects, has two points in 11 games.

East Division

  • Don’t fret, Flyers fans. Another COVID outbreak is not imminent. After just two days on the league’s CPRA list, Philadelphia forward Joel Farabee will be removed today and will be in the lineup, the team announced. The Flyers have also recalled defenseman Nate Prosser from the taxi squad.
  • As they prepare to take on the Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins are also adding healthy names to their lineup. The team announced (per Seth Rorabaugh) that defenseman Brian Dumoulin and forward Evan Rodrigues have been activated from the injured reserve. Additionally, forward Anthony Angello has been promoted from the taxi squad and defenseman Josh Maniscalco will replace him, called up from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Colton Sceviour is expected to land on the COVID Protocol list and is unavailable today.
  • The Rangers have recalled Ty Ronning and Adam Huska to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions page.  Both players have been moved back and forth a few times to keep in compliance with taxi squad roster rules but haven’t seen any NHL action.

North Division

  • The Canadiens have recalled Cam Hillis to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions page.  The first-year pro has been recalled and sent down several times so far and has played just once this season with Laval.

West Division

  • The Avalanche have recalled Travis Barron and Nick Henry from the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions page.  Both wingers have been held without a point in four AHL games this season, suggesting their promotions are just to stay in compliance with the minimum taxi squad size.  In addition, Jayson Megna was also recalled, going directly to Colorado’s roster.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have shuffled up their taxi squad once more.  According to the AHL’s transactions page, going to the AHL from the taxi squad are Tyler Madden, Sean Durzi, and Mikey Eyssimont while moving up to the taxi squad are Aidan Dudas, Markus Phillips, and Cole Hults.  With Ontario in action today, the Kings had to decide which youngsters they wanted playing and which ones will get the day off.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Frederik Gauthier from the taxi squad and he is expected to make his season debut. Michael Chaput has been moved back down to make room.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

AHL| Transactions Taxi Squad

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