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League Notes: Draft, Fines, AHL

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There’s been a lot of talk about the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and how it could be pushed back from this summer, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet examines just how difficult that would actually be in his latest 31 Thoughts column. Everyone agrees that it will be tough to properly assess players who haven’t had a chance to play much this season, but the draft has many other machinations that go along with it, including service time and rights retention.

There are real hurdles to overcome before the event is moved just like anything that needs to be negotiated between the NHL and NHLPA. For now, the draft is still scheduled to begin on July 23, just a few days after the Seattle Kraken enter as the league’s 32nd franchise and hold their expansion draft.

  • Vancouver Canucks forward Antoine Roussel has been fined $5,000 for roughing Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi last night, the maximum allowable under the CBA. After a whistle, Roussel started throwing punches at Puljujarvi without the Edmonton forward wanting to engage in a fight. Roussel was also assessed a two-minute minor penalty on the play.
  • The AHL has postponed tonight’s game between the Iowa Wild and Texas Stars due to COVID-19 protocols affecting the Wild. The game has not been rescheduled yet. This postponement means that Texas will continue to wait for their next game after having last week’s match postponed due to inclement weather. The Stars haven’t played since February 13 and it is unclear if games on Friday and Saturday against Iowa will go ahead.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/24/21

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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 Arizona Coyotes have recalled Michael Chaput from the taxi squad to the active roster and Frederik Gauthier from the AHL to the taxi squad. Gauthier, 25, played in 168 NHL games over parts of five seasons with the Maple Leafs but has yet to get into any action for the Coyotes.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Austin Strand from the taxi squad, after placing Jaret Anderson-Dolan on injured reserve. Anderson-Dolan’s IR stint is retroactive to February 18 when he last played, meaning he can basically return as soon as he’s recovered. The young forward was off to quite the start with five points in his first six games this season.
  • Once their game tomorrow was postponed, the Vegas Golden Knights assigned both Patrick Brown and Logan Thompson back to the AHL. Thompson had only been recalled to the taxi squad earlier today, but turns out won’t be needed as Vegas waits for Saturday to get back into game action.
  • The Anaheim Ducks continued their daily roster shuffling, assigning David Backes to the taxi squad while recalling Andy Welinski and Vinni Lettieri from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • The Avalanche made a series of roster moves, per CapFriendly.  Logan O’Connor was recalled on an emergency loan with Brandon Saad unavailable with his wife expecting to give birth.  Meanwhile, Hunter Miska and Jayson Megna were sent to AHL Colorado while Peyton Jones was recalled to the taxi squad to give the Avs three goalies.
  • The Blues have recalled Austin Poganski and Jake Walman from the taxi squad while promoting Steven Santini to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Poganski and Walman have played a handful of games for St. Louis this season while the addition of Santini to the taxi squad gives them another veteran with Carl Gunnarsson out for the season.

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Artem Anisimov from the taxi squad after their game last night, while moving Erik Brannstrom and Micheal Haley down. Anisimov could come in for Derek Stepan, who was injured in last night’s game, though since the Senators are off for the day it might simply be a paper transaction for salary savings.
  • The Calgary Flames had Oliver Kylington in their lineup against Toronto, meaning that the blueliner was recalled from the taxi squad.  The 23-year-old has been up and down all season but had suited up just once before tonight’s game.
  • The Montreal Canadiens sent Paul Byron and Nick Suzuki to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, yielding some small cap savings.  Both players will likely be recalled in time for their game tomorrow against Winnipeg.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Scott Sabourin on a roster emergency exception and assigned Nic Petan to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Sabourin has yet to play since having his AHL deal converted to a two-way NHL contract while Petan has an assist in six games this season.

Central Division

  • The Nashville Predators have reassigned Eeli Tolvanen and Ben Harpur to the taxi squad, the same move they do on nearly every off day. The Predators won last night and Tolvanen scored his second goal of the season, bringing his career total to three.
  • Andrew Peeke is headed back to the minor leagues for now, assigned to the Cleveland Monsters by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Peeke has played in six NHL games with Columbus this season but looked a bit overmatched at times, so will get back on the ice in the AHL.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have sent Kaden Fulcher back to the AHL from the taxi squad, though if he plays for the Grand Rapids Griffins it would be his first action at that level. The 22-year-old undrafted goaltender has an appearance in the NHL, but otherwise has only seen the ECHL as a professional.  They also returned Danny DeKeyser and Mathias Brome to the taxi squad, extending DeKeyser’s waiver exemption and saving some salary on Brome.
  • After clearing waivers, Tanner Kero has been assigned to the taxi squad by the Dallas Stars. In his place, Nicholas Caamano and Rhett Gardner have been recalled.
  • After he cleared waivers earlier today, the Panthers assigned Tommy Cross to Providence of the AHL.  Florida’s affiliate opted out of this season so Cross instead returns to a team he’s quite familiar with having spent parts of seven seasons with them from 2011-12 through 2017-18.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes are back in action tonight and accordingly have recalled Alex Nedeljkovic, Jake Bean, and Steven Lorentz from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  In order to stay compliant with the minimum taxi squad size, Dave Gust was recalled to the taxi squad from AHL Chicago.
  • After not getting picked up off waivers, the Lightning loaned Luke Schenn to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Not much will change for him as he’ll likely continue to go back and forth until he plays in ten more games with Tampa Bay and becomes waiver-eligible again.  Meanwhile, Callan Foote and Ross Colton were recalled from the taxi squad.

East Division

AHL Announces Full 2020-21 Schedule For Canadian Clubs

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Over a month since the AHL released the regular season schedules for its American teams and more than three weeks since those same teams started playing, the league has finally announced a full season schedule for its Canadian contingent. Of course, the clubs already began play over the course of the past week, but were operating on a limited schedule of just a few games. They now have a full slate to look forward to.

Like their American counterparts, the Canadian teams will all wrap up their regular seasons in mid-May. While the previously-released schedule ended on May 14, this new schedule has games up through May 16. Unlike the American teams, the Canadian clubs will all play the same amount of games. Though home and away splits differ, the Belleville Senators, Laval Rocket, Manitoba Moose, and Toronto Marlies will each play 36 games apiece.

The exception to all of this is the odd duck team of this AHL season: the Stockton Heat, an American team displaced for this year by a move to Calgary, the home of their parent club. The Heat, who were the final Canadian team to get started this season, will play a much different slate than any other team in the league due to their location away from American competition but also far from their fellow Canadian teams. “Stockton” will only play 30 games, broken up into long road trips and home stands. Their regular season schedule will also come to an end on April 29, more than two weeks before the rest of the league. The Calgary Flames knew there would be negative repercussions for relocating their farm team just before the season started, but felt the transactional benefits for the NHL club outweighed the limitations to their AHL club.

Minor Transactions: 02/23/21

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During a year in which there is a unique and unprecedented mix of leagues at different points in their respective seasons, there are always moves to be made. While the NHL has seen internal transactions made at a newfound rapid pace this season, there continue to be other notable moves made across the hockey world every day. Keep up with those transactions here:

  • While most European leagues are nearing the ends of their regular seasons, Germany’s DEL started up around the same time as the NHL and are less than 20 games into their campaign. With plenty of hockey left to play, teams are still scouring for talent. This has allowed former NHLer Simon Despres to find a home this season. Despres, 29, had a promising NHL career derailed by injury and, other than a brief AHL comeback attempt early in the 2018-19 season, has spent the past three seasons in Europe. He has found moderate success overseas and had his best season last year with Sweden’s IK Oskarshamn. Now, he is returning to Germany for a second stint, as Eisbaren Berlin has announced a contract with Despres for the remainder of the season. Despres has a great chance to play a key role in a long season for Berlin, who currently sit in second place in the DEL and have the scoring depth and goaltending to contend for a title. The team has not received much production from its defense thus far, but that is where Despres can step in and be a difference-maker.
  • It has been a whirlwind couple of days for former RIT standout Adam Brubacher. The defenseman was released from his AHL contract with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, only to immediately land a PTO with the Manitoba Moose, per a team release. While RIT nor their conference, Atlantic Hockey, are among the elite in the NCAA, Brubacher’s accomplishments over the past four years remain impressive. A member of an all-conference team in three of his four seasons and Atlantic Hockey’s Rookie of the Year in 2016-17, Brubacher was among the most productive defensemen in the NCAA over his collegiate career with 106 point in 148 games. While he was released by Bridgeport before ever playing a game, if he is given an opportunity by Manitoba to show that his ability translates to the pros, he could become a nice piece on the back end for the club.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Wyatt Schingoethe has made his college commitment. The 18-year-old center has announced that he will join Western Michigan University next season. A seventh-round pick in 2020, Schingoethe has excelled down the middle for the USHL’s Waterloo Blackhawks over the past few years, playing a fast and aggressive high-energy style that produces points, turnovers, and defensive support. While draft rankings differ greatly further into the draft, there were at least some sources that expected Schingoethe to go a round or two earlier than he did. He hopes to begin showing that he is a legitimate prospect for the Leafs when he arrives at WMU next year. The Broncos are a strong program, but currently count Philadelphia’s Ronnie Attard as their only NHL prospect. Schingoethe will be a major boost.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/23/21

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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 Ottawa Senators have flipped Artem Anisimov and Micheal Haley again, with the former headed to the taxi squad and the latter moving to the active roster. The Senators are back in action tonight against the Montreal Canadiens and obviously will not have Anisimov in the lineup.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have sent Charlie Lindgren to the AHL in order for him to play the Laval Rocket games this week. Michael McNiven has been recalled to the taxi squad to serve as the third goaltender while Lindgren gets some game action.
  • Patrick Russell has been recalled from the Edmonton Oilers taxi squad on an emergency basis, perhaps indicating that he’ll finally get back into the lineup. Russell has played just one game this season and, amazingly, still has zero goals in his 52-game NHL career.

Central Division

  • The Dallas Stars have assigned Ty Dellandrea to the taxi squad, but perhaps only temporarily given that Tanner Kero appeared on waivers today. Dellandrea, 20, has two points in 11 games this season but remains a big part of the Stars’ future.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Danny DeKeyser and Mathias Brome from the taxi squad ahead of their game this evening against the Nashville Predators. Brome finally got his first NHL goal the other night, giving him one point in his first 18 games.
  • Those Predators have made their daily move, though this time it comes with the activation of Ryan Johansen off injured reserve. Nashville has recalled Eeli Tolvanen and Ben Harpur from the taxi squad, while also sending Sean Malone back down. Tolvanen is expected to skate alongside Johansen in tonight’s game.

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day.

West Notes: Krebs, Strand, Kostin, Wiesblatt, Robins

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With the WHL getting closer to a start date, many teams are beginning to send their prospects back to their junior leagues. The Henderson Silver Knights, the AHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, announced they have assigned center Peyton Krebs to the Winnipeg Ice.

With the WHL shutdown for most of the season so far, the Golden Knights’ top pick in 2019 (17th overall) got a rare opportunity to play amongst men in the AHL. He managed to get in five games with the Silver Knights, posting a goal and five points and looking like he’s ready for his next challenge. However, with the WHL starting back up soon, Krebs either had to be on the Golden Knights roster or return to his junior team. The 20-year-old posted impressive numbers with Winnipeg last season, including 12 goals and 60 points in just 38 games before joining the Golden Knights in the bubble for the playoffs last summer even if he didn’t get to appear in an NHL game.

  • The Department of Player Safety announced that they have fined Los Angeles Kings defenseman Austin Strand $3,168 for cross-checking forward Conor Garland. The incident occurred at 19:52 of the second period (video here) in which Strand used the shaft of his stick to strike Garland in the face. Strand received a two-minute minor penalty for cross checking. The fine was the maximum amount allowable under the CBA.
  • With Sammy Blais on the COVID Protocol list, the St. Louis Blues find themselves down to 11 forwards. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas writes that despite their lack of depth at the forward position all of a sudden, there is no plan to bring back prospect Klim Kostin from Russia. The 2017 first-rounder was loaned for the season to Omsk Avangard of the KHL in September, but the team has indicated that’s where he’ll stay until the KHL season ends. Of course, their regular season ends at the end of this month, but Omsk Avangard is expected to be in the playoffs, lengthening his stay there. While the forward’s numbers aren’t overly impressive (seven goals and 18 points in 41 games), Thomas notes that he has been much more impressive lately with four goals and nine points in his last six games.
  • The San Jose Sharks announced they have assigned two of their top picks in the 2020 NHL draft to the WHL. Both Ozzy Wiesblatt and Tristen Robins, who were playing with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL while junior play has been suspended, will return to their teams. Wiesblatt, the team’s first-round pick (31st overall), played in three games for the Barracuda, scoring one goal and will return to Prince Albert of the WHL. Robins, the team’s second-round pick (56th overall), played in two games with the Barracuda and will return to Saskatoon of the AHL.

 

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/21/21

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As the NHL prepares for another day at Lake Tahoe – one that hopes to run smoothly after Saturday’s debacle – there are also three other games on the Sunday slate. Roster transactions continue to come at a torrid pace this season and today should be no different with a number of teams in action. Keep up with all of the moves right here:

Central Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have returned a trio of players to the taxi squad. The team announced that veteran defensemen Alex Biega and the recently-waived Danny DeKeyser, as well as rookie forward Mathias Brome, have all been reassigned. After back-to-back games, Detroit is off until Tuesday.
  • Matiss Kivlenieks is on his way back to Columbus after a brief stint in the minors. The Blue Jackets announced that the goaltender has been recalled from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters to join the taxi squad. While the team may give Kivlenieks spot starts in Cleveland from time to time to keep him fresh, he looks to be locked in to that No. 3 taxi squad role for the franchise this season.
  • The Nashville Predators announced they have reassigned forward Eeli Tolvanen to the squad. The 21-year-old has appeared in eight games with the Predators this season.

East Division

  • The New Jersey Devils have swapped a pair of forwards, sending Yegor Sharangovich to the taxi squad while calling up Mikhail Maltsev as his replacement. Although they have been used differently so far this season, both rookies have been effective in the Devils lineup. However, after a hot start Sharangovich has cooled off while Maltsev has performed in his more recent showings. According to the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, New Jersey has also reassigned forward Nick Merkley from the taxi squad to the minors. Merkley has actually played well in the NHL so far this season, recording three points in five games with the Devils.
  • With the losses of Jake McCabe and William Borgen to injuries, the Buffalo Sabres have promoted two players from the Rochester Americans to the taxi squad. The team announced that Jacob Bryson and Casey Fitzgerald will move up and fill the defensive depth void that the team has dealt with over the last few days.

North Division

  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled defenseman Theodor Lennstrom from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL and moved him to the taxi squad. The move was required with the injury to defenseman Slater Koekkoek. Lennstrom will need time to quarantine with Bakersfield being in the U.S., requiring the player to cross the border.
  • Ryan Pike of FlamesNation reports that the Calgary Flames have made a salary cap move, sending defenseman Oliver Kylington to the taxi squad and thereby filling up their taxi-squad roster. The 23-year-old has yet to appear in a game for the Flames this season.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled a number of players from the taxi squad for Sunday’s game, including goaltender Joey Daccord, defenseman Braydon Coburn and forward Micheal Haley. The team also assigned forward Artem Anisimov to the taxi squad to make room for them and also moved Logan Shaw from the Belleville Senators of the AHL to the taxi squad.

West Division

  • The Minnesota Wild have moved a pair of young players back to the minors. The team announced that defenseman Calen Addison and goalie Dereck Baribeau have been reassigned to AHL Iowa. Addison, one of Minnesota’s top prospects, logged over 18 minutes of ice time on average through his first three NHL games.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have swapped several players from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL and the taxi squad. The team has assigned forwards Frederik Gauthier and Kyle Capobianco from the Tucson to the taxi squad. The Coyotes also assigned forwards Hudson Fasching and Michael Chaput to Tucson to replace them. Capobianco has appeared in two games for Arizona this season.
  • The San Jose Sharks announced they have reassigned forward Maxim Letunov and goaltender Josef Korenar to the San Barracuda of the AHL. Neither player has appeared in a Sharks game this season.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/20/21

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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 Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned defenseman Alex Biega to the taxi squad. Detroit recalled him for yesterday’s game against Florida but didn’t suit up.  The 32-year-old has played just once so far this season.
  • The Blue Jackets have recalled defenseman Gabriel Carlsson from the taxi squad, per a team release.  The blueliner cleared waivers earlier this week but his presence on the roster is now needed with David Savard out for today’s game due to a non-COVID illness.
  • The Dallas Stars have recalled Joel Kiviranta from the taxi squad, bringing up Rhett Gardner from the AHL in his place. The Stars haven’t played in a week and won’t be back in game action until Monday.

North Division

  • The Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled winger Michael Frolik to their taxi squad from AHL Laval. The veteran was sent down at the beginning of the week to get into a couple of games for conditioning purposes and has yet to play for Montreal.
  • After loaning Joey Daccord to the AHL yesterday to make a spot start, the Senators announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled him to the taxi squad. The 24-year-old has allowed five goals in each of his two minor league starts this season.

East Division

  • Ilya Samsonov won’t be making his return to the lineup today after all. The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that they’ve sent the netminder back to the taxi squad and have once again recalled Craig Anderson for their game against the Rangers.
  • After clearing waivers, the Devils assigned defenseman Matt Tennyson to their taxi squad, CapFriendly reports.  The blueliner has played in ten games this season, recording one assist while averaging 13:43 per game in ice time.
  • The Islanders have once again promoted winger Oliver Wahlstrom and Leo Komarov from the taxi squad, reports Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link).  New York has been shuffling their waiver-exempt prospects back and forth all season while Komarov recently cleared waivers again, allowing them to do the same with the 34-year-old.

West Division

  • Colorado has assigned defenseman Kyle Burroughs from their taxi squad to the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log.  He was recalled to the Avalanche’s taxi squad last Friday but didn’t get into any game action.
  • The Kings have brought up one of their top prospects to their taxi squad, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Rasmus Kupari from AHL Ontario.  The 20th-overall pick in 2018 leads the AHL in assists (seven) and points (eight) in the early going this season.
  • Arizona has loaned defenseman Kyle Capobianco and center Frederik Gauthier to AHL Tucson, per the AHL’s transaction log.  Capobianco has played in two games with the Coyotes this season while Gauthier, who was a regular on Toronto’s roster last year, has yet to play in 2021.  They’ll have an opportunity to see some game action now.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Minor Transactions: 02/19/21

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While the NHL season is already past the quarter pole, the AHL is still just getting started and Canadian juniors are still working on a return, while on the other hand the NCAA is headed toward tournament time shortly and European leagues are in the home stretch of the season. With so much variation in seasons, there is no telling what could be happening on any given day. One thing that is certain is that there continue to be notable moves outside the NHL on a daily basis:

  • There is no shortage of demand for Cory Conacher in Switzerland. The veteran NHL forward previously spent the 2015-16 with SC Bern of the Swiss National League before returning to North America. Even before last season ended, and it was clear that Conacher’s four-year stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning was over, there were reports that Swiss clubs were clamoring to bring him back. Conacher wound up signing with Lausanne HC this off-season, but is on the move again. Conacher has left Lausanne to return to Bern, but this is not simply a rental contract between the 31-year-old and the NLA’s 11th-place team. Instead, Bern has announced a three-year deal, including the remainder of this season, keeping Conacher in the NLA through at least 2022-23. Given the fanfare that Conacher enjoys in Switzerland and a new multi-year contract, it is probably safe to say that we have seen the last of him in the NHL.
  • After negotiating his release from the AHL’s Laval Rocket earlier this week, Sam Vigneault has now signed with the Eispiraten Crimmitschau of the DEL2, Germany’s second-tier league. It is a strange transition for Vigneault, a former Columbus Blue Jackets prospect. Granted he has never been able to rise above the AHL in his pro career, but he has still been a serviceable player in the minors. To drop to the level of the DEL2 is unexpected and, though it is only a contract for the remainder of the season, one has to wonder what the future holds for Vigneault.
  • William Wallinder, the first pick in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, is looking ahead to next season with the SHL in his sights. A long-time member of MODO, suiting up for their junior teams and over the past two seasons in the second-tier Allsvenskan, the 18-year-old Wallinder will be a free agent after this season and is looking for a new challenge. After being heavily courted by a number of SHL teams, Swedish news source Kvalls Posten reports that Wallinder has elected to sign with the SHL’s Rogle BK. The two sides have only agreed to terms thus far and nothing official has been disclosed, but expect Wallinder to suit up for Rogle for at least one season if not longer. Should he find success at the top level in Sweden, the Red Wings won’t want to wait too long to bring the big, smooth-skating defender to North America.

Ivan Barbashev Out At Least Six Weeks

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The St. Louis Blues will be without Ivan Barbashev for at least six weeks after he suffered a left ankle injury in last night’s game. The team says he will be re-evaluated at that time, meaning it could be even longer. In a corresponding move, the Blues have recalled Nathan Walker from the AHL and moved Barbashev to injured reserve.

The 25-year-old forward had six points in 17 games on the season and was being used more and more by head coach Craig Berube of late. Versatile and talented, he’ll be a tough player to replace even for the West-leading Blues. Six weeks means he’ll miss close to 20 games, more than a third of the shortened season.

Not only does that remove a piece of the Blues lineup as they try to secure their position, but for Barbashev, it means this injury could cost him real dollars too. The young forward is scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year and still hasn’t experienced much of an offensive breakout. With just 83 points in 249 games so far in his career, his arbitration case won’t be very strong. That’s a silver lining for the Blues, but they would obviously want him in the lineup instead of rehabbing an injured ankle.

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