Championship Notes: North Division, Calder Cup, Women’s Worlds
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
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
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
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
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/20/21
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
- Jayden Halbgewachs has been returned to the AHL by the San Jose Sharks as he continues to wait for his first NHL opportunity. The 24-year-old has been up and down all season but has still only seen minor league action.
North Division
- The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Ashton Sautner and Olli Juolevi from the taxi squad under emergency conditions while assigning Guillaume Brisebois and Tyler Graovac to it. The Canucks will have to battle the Maple Leafs without Alexander Edler tonight as he serves the first of his two-game suspension.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have swapped Kaden Fulcher and Kevin Boyle between the taxi squad and AHL, with the latter heading back to the Grand Rapids Griffins. That’s not the only move though; Mathias Brome has also been moved to the taxi squad.
- The Nashville Predators have reassigned Tanner Jeannot to the taxi squad, one of their normal off-day moves. The Predators will be back in action tomorrow against the Blackhawks and Jeannot may well be back on the active roster by then.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled rookie forward Ty Dellandrea and veteran defenseman Taylor Fedun from the taxi squad. Fedun would be making his season debut if he draws into the lineup, while Dellandrea has five points in 25 games so far this season.
East Division
- The Boston Bruins returned Daniel Vladar to the AHL so he could play this afternoon, but Urho Vaakanainen and Jack Ahcan both weren’t in the lineup. Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe confirmed on Twitter that the pair of youngsters were with the Bruins’ taxi squad in Buffalo.
- With Linus Ullmark out, the Buffalo Sabres are turning to top prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who has been recalled to the active roster. Michael Houser has been sent to the taxi squad to make room.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Buffalo Sabres Sign Lukas Rousek
The Buffalo Sabres have signed Czech forward Lukas Rousek to a two-year entry-level contract, according to his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Milstein clarified to John Vogl of The Athletic that Rousek likely won’t be playing any AHL games this spring, given how long it would take him to get a visa and the short schedule remaining. The young forward will instead head to Buffalo early in the summer to train and his contract will begin in 2021-22.
It was quite the season for Rousek, who was just a sixth-round selection in 2019. After breaking out offensively last year for Sparta Praha, scoring 14 goals and 29 points in 52 games, the 22-year-old took his game to an entirely new level and racked up 38 points in 49 games for the 2020-21 season. That was good enough for 15th in the entire league, though actually just fourth on his team behind some of the league’s most respected names, including former NHL forward Michal Repik.
He went undrafted in his first two years of eligibility, but Rousek is proving that the Sabres were right in giving him a crack in 2019. A worthwhile pick, he’ll now have to try and make the transition to North American hockey and bring some of that offense to the AHL.
New York Rangers To Extend Jonny Brodzinski
Jonny Brodzinski has turned a small, but productive sample size with the New York Rangers organization into another year of job security. CapFriendly reports that the two sides have come to terms on a one-year, two-way extension for the 2021-22 season. The new deal will closely resemble the one that Brodzinski signed with the Rangers this off-season, containing the minimum NHL salary and an minimal AHL salary bump from $200K to $215K. Brodzinski, who would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer, will now be guaranteed $300K for next season, regardless of how much time he spends at the NHL level.
Brodzinski, 27, has proved himself to be a valuable depth piece in his career, recording 13 points in 61 NHL games and 149 points in 209 AHL games. So far this season, he is second on the Hartford Wolf Pack in per-game scoring, recording 11 points in nine games. He has also skated in four games with New York, notching a goal. With a number of high-scoring minor league seasons under his belt to go with some NHL experience, the Rangers could do worse than Brodzinski as a veteran leader in the AHL and NHL injury substitute.
For those thinking that this could be an expansion draft-fueled move, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Not only are the Rangers in a good place with meeting their exposure requirements for the impending draft, but Brodzinski does not meet the NHL games played criteria anyhow. While Brodzinski’s extended term could make him a more attractive pick for the Seattle Kraken, who must select 20 players with term on their contracts, it still seems very unlikely that they would opt to take the veteran minor leaguer above all other Rangers options.
Minor Transactions: 04/19/21
Even this late in the hockey season, notable roster moves are still being made. At this point, many are teams looking ahead to next year, especially with collegiate and European players available and looking to make future plans. So while these moves may not immediately impact any NHL rosters, they are worth keeping track of – and we’ve done so right here:
- When the Vegas Golden Knights signed Maxim Marushev earlier this month to a contract that didn’t begin until next season, it was unclear whether the Russian prospect would play again this season. Well, the organization has sorted that out now, as the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights have announced that Marushev has joined the team, and not just on a tryout basis but on a contract for the remainder of the season. Marushev, 22, was on overage selection in the seventh round of last year’s draft, but has seemingly already proved his value as an NHL prospect to the Knights, despite a drop-off in production this season.
- The captain of the newly-minted NCAA Champions has found his first NHL contract. UMass standout center Jake Gaudet has signed an AHL contract with the Cleveland Monsters for the 2021-22 season and will join the team on a PTO for the remainder of the year. Gaudet just completed his senior year in Amherst, recording 13 points in 28 games. While Gaudet has never been much of a scorer, he works hard and excels at the defensive aspects of the game which allowed him to be a regular fixture in the Minutemen lineup for four years and to gain a leadership role in the locker room. The Columbus Blue Jackets likely see some fourth-line upside in the 24-year-old, but will look for Gaudet to prove himself in the minors first.
- In somewhat of a redemption story, defenseman Vincent Desharnais has signed a new two-year contract with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The Providence College product initially signed his first pro deal with Bakersfield last year. However, the team declined to extend him this off-season after an underwhelming campaign and he inked a deal with their ECHL affiliate, the Witchita Thunder. Yet, Bakersfield has required Desharnais’ services on loan for much of the season and this time around have been impressed by his play, resulting in a new contract to officially make him a Condor for two more years.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/19/21
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 sent Jacob Middleton back to the AHL, moving him off the taxi squad for the time being. The 25-year-old defenseman has seven points in 20 games for the Barracuda this season, his fifth year with the club.
North Division
Central Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have officially recalled Gavin Bayreuther from the taxi squad after head coach John Tortorella told reporters that he would be making his debut tonight. Bayreuther played 19 games for the Dallas Stars in 2018-19, his only NHL experience so far. The team has also recalled Cliff Pu to the taxi squad.
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Mathias Brome from the taxi squad, the team announced. The rookie import has played in 24 games with Detroit this season, but has only one point to show for it.
East Division
- In addition to signing Alexander Holtz to an AHL amateur tryout, the New Jersey Devils have made a taxi squad change. Tyce Thompson and Nikita Okhotiuk have both been loaned to the Binghamton Devils. Thompson, 21, will be joining the AHL club for the first time after playing in six NHL games directly after signing his entry-level deal. Okhotiuk meanwhile is still waiting to make his NHL debut.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have assigned Cam York to the AHL, meaning his NHL debut will have to wait. The 20-year-old defenseman ended his college career and signed an entry-level contract last month, turning pro after two excellent seasons with the University of Michigan. Selected 14th overall in 2019, he will likely be fighting for a regular spot on the blue line come next season’s training camp.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Will Cuylle Agrees To Terms With New York Rangers
All the focus at the 2020 draft for the New York Rangers was on Alexis Lafreniere, the first-overall pick. But 59 selections later, the team took another standout CHL forward, selecting Will Cuylle from the Windsor Spitfires 60th overall. After spending this year in the minor leagues with the Hartford Wolf Pack, Cuylle has agreed to terms on his three-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers.
The 6’3″ Cuylle only turned 19 in February, but he’s already off to quite the start for Hartford. He has five points in 13 games but is third on the team in penalty minutes with 26 and got his first AHL fight under his belt last month. It’s not that Cuylle is an enforcer (far from it), but the big winger is more than willing to engage physically, using his size and strength to lean on defenders. That has even been evident while playing against opponents sometimes a decade his senior in the AHL, a league he wouldn’t even be eligible to play in if this were a normal year.
With the OHL still suspended, Cuylle can continue to play with the Wolf Pack and test himself at the professional level. Unfortunately, given he doesn’t turn 20 until February 2022, he actually would need to go back to the OHL for next season if he fails to make the Rangers roster. That’s quite an odd development path, but perhaps Cuylle can take some of the lessons he has learned this season to dominate for Windsor and play an even more offensive role.