Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/03/21
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:
East Division
- The Sabres have recalled Brandon Davidson and C.J. Smith from AHL Rochester to the taxi squad, per a team release. The two were sent down yesterday to get some playing time but won’t be getting into the second half of the back-to-back after all.
- The Penguins announced that they have recalled Justin Almeida and Will Reilly to the taxi squad from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while sending Radim Zohorna to the minors. Zohorna played twice last week on the fourth line but will undoubtedly see more playing time with this assignment. Later in the day, they also announced that Maxime Lagace was recalled to the taxi squad from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
- The Flyers are bringing back Shayne Gostisbehere as they announced that they’ve recalled the defenseman along with Tanner Laczynski from the taxi squad. Gostisbehere cleared waivers on Wednesday while Laczynski has six goals and four assists in 14 games with AHL Lehigh Valley this season.
Central Division
- The Red Wings announced the promotions of Valtteri Filppula, Frans Nielsen, Givani Smith, and Michael Rasmussen from their taxi squad in advance of today’s game against Tampa Bay. Evgeny Svechnikov has been sent to the taxi squad after clearing waivers as well.
- The Panthers announced that they have recalled Matt Kiersted from the taxi squad while sending Spencer Knight to the taxi squad. Kiersted signed with Florida on Thursday after wrapping up his NCAA career and will make his NHL debut tonight versus Columbus.
North Division
- The Oilers announced that they have loaned Theodor Lennstrom to AHL Bakersfield from the taxi squad. The defenseman signed a one-year entry-level deal last April after a good showing in Sweden but has yet to play with Edmonton and has suited up just seven times so far with the Condors.
- The Canadiens have returned Cole Caufield to AHL Laval, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 20-year-old signed last weekend and is still going through his mandatory quarantine period but was recalled in a paper move yesterday to keep Montreal’s taxi squad at the minimum number of players.
West Division
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/02/21
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 Los Angeles Kings have recalled Lias Andersson, Kale Clague, and Austin Strand from the taxi squad. The 22-year-old Andersson is trying to finally work his way to being a valuable NHL player and scored just his fifth career goal in a Kings win on Wednesday. Matt Luff was sent to the taxi squad after clearing waivers while Sean Durzi was recalled to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- The Arizona Coyotes have brought up Lane Pederson and Jordan Gross from the taxi squad in advance of tonight’s game against Anaheim. Gross has played in three games on Arizona’s back end while Pederson has yet to make his NHL debut but has 17 points in 16 AHL games this season.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Cody Glass from AHL Henderson. Injuries and yesterday’s suspension to Chandler Stephenson caused Vegas to only dress 10 forwards on Thursday night. That now gives them a cap-exempt recall option which they’ve used on Glass who has 10 points in 25 games this season. Per CapFriendly, Nicolas Hague and Nick Holden were also recalled from the taxi squad, Dylan Coghlan was sent to the taxi squad, and Dylan Sikura was sent to the minors.
- The Anaheim Ducks made their usual large sequence of moves. Per CapFriendly, Lukas Dostal and Kodie Curran were recalled to the taxi squad with Axel Andersson going to the minors after being recalled from his loan in Sweden. Trevor Zegras and Anthony Stolarz were also recalled from the taxi squad.
- The Colorado Avalanche recalled Liam O’Brien, Dan Renouf, and Kiefer Sherwood from the taxi squad on an emergency basis, per CapFriendly. O’Brien is expected to make his Colorado debut tonight after recently being converted to an NHL contract.
- With the Minnesota Wild off tonight, they’ve sent Kyle Rau and Luke Johnson to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both players were on the fourth line in Thursday’s game against Vegas.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled Christian Jaros and Antti Suomela from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Suomela has been held without a point in four games this year while Jaros has yet to debut with the Sharks.
- The St. Louis Blues have recalled Jake Walman from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The 25-year-old has seen limited action this season and has spent time both on the back end and up front.
North Division
- The Montreal Canadiens have sent Laurent Dauphin and Xavier Ouellet to AHL Laval to get them into a game after spending most of the last couple of weeks on their taxi squad. Cole Caufield and Lukas Vejdemo were recalled in corresponding moves to keep the tax squad at four players; Caufield is currently ineligible while quarantining while Vejdemo is injured.
- The Ottawa Senators have made several roster moves. Artem Anisimov has been recalled from the taxi squad with Clark Bishop and Alex Formenton going from Ottawa to the taxi squad. Additionally, Logan Shaw and Olle Alsing were recalled from AHL Belleville to the taxi squad.
- After clearing waivers, the Edmonton Oilers assigned Tyler Ennis to the taxi squad. Additionally, Alex Stalock was activated from IR, giving them three goalies on the active roster which allowed them to send Dylan Wells from the taxi squad back to the minors.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Alex Galchenyuk from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Timothy Liljegren was moved back to the taxi squad in a corresponding move. Galchenyuk has three assists in six games so far with Toronto.
Central Division
- After placing Evgeny Svechnikov on waivers, the Detroit Red Wings have moved Frans Nielsen, Michael Rasmussen, and Givani Smith to the taxi squad. The team continues to swap players in and out to maximize cap and salary savings.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Mitchell Stephens and Taylor Raddysh to the Syracuse Crunch, the former on a conditioning loan. Stephens hasn’t played since suffering an injury in January but is close to a return. Ben Thomas was also recalled from the taxi squad with Andreas Borgman being sent to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- Just before trading for Vinnie Hinostroza, the Chicago Blackhawks made several roster moves. Brandon Pirri, Mikael Hakkarainen and Alec Regula were re-assigned to the taxi squad, while Reese Johnson, Mackenzie Entwistle, Nicolas Beaudin, Ian Mitchell and Lucas Carlsson were all assigned to the AHL. Phillip Kurashev was also sent to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- After playing on a conditioning stint, Petr Mrazek and Max McCormick were recalled from the minors, per CapFriendly, with McCormick going to the taxi squad. Carolina will now carry three goalies for the time being which allowed them to send Beck Warm back to the AHL.
- The Dallas Stars have sent Justin Dowling and Tanner Kero back to the taxi squad. Both players have a goal and three assists so far this season.
- The Nashville Predators returned Mathieu Olivier to the taxi squad. The 24-year-old has five points in 26 games this season.
East Division
- The New Jersey Devils have sent Matt Tennyson to the AHL, recalling Joshua Jacobs in the process. Nikita Gusev also cleared waivers today and was moved to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, along with Tyce Thompson. Mikhail Maltsev and Jesper Boqvist were recalled to the active roster.
- The Buffalo Sabres have assigned C.J. Smith and Brandon Davidson to the AHL. The Rochester Americans play tonight and tomorrow and will apparently get some reinforcements. Rasmus Asplund and Steven Fogarty were also assigned to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- With the Boston Bruins off tonight, they returned Trent Frederic and Zach Senyshyn to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both players are quite used to the daily shuffle now and will likely be recalled for tomorrow’s game against Pittsburgh.
- The New York Islanders have sent Oliver Wahlstrom and Austin Czarnik to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Wahlstrom has 16 points in 30 games this season and is certain to be recalled for Saturday’s game against Philadelphia.
- With the New York Rangers not in action, they’ve sent Kaapo Kakko to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The sophomore has five goals and two assists in 29 games this season.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Dallas Stars Sign Adam Scheel
During their game last night, the Dallas Stars announced a new member was joining the organization. The team has signed Adam Scheel to a two-year entry-level contract that will begin in the 2021-22 season. Scheel has signed an amateur tryout with the Texas Stars of the AHL for the remainder of 2020-21.
The 21-year-old goaltender is coming off an incredible junior season with the University of North Dakota and will take this opportunity to leave the college ranks. Undrafted, Scheel posted a .931 save percentage in 26 appearances this season, winning 20 games on the back of a 1.74 goals-against average. That was by far his best season for UND, though he had started in his freshman and junior years as well.
The intriguing part about Scheel is that, unlike many other undrafted goaltenders who find success at the college or junior level, he isn’t undersized. In fact, he stands at an imposing 6’3″ and at first glance looks the part of an NHL goalie. As Corey Pronman of The Athletic wrote last month there is some concern about his lateral quickness, but the frame is there for him to succeed at the next level.
Obviously, it takes more than just a big body to stop pucks as a pro, but Scheel should certainly be feeling confident in his abilities right now. He won the NCHC Goaltender of the Year award this season.
Montreal Canadiens Agree To Terms With Corey Schueneman
The Montreal Canadiens have rewarded one of their AHL standouts, agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with Corey Schueneman. The two-way deal, which kicks in for the 2021-22 season, will pay Schueneman $750K at the NHL level and $175K at the AHL. He is currently playing for the Laval Rocket on an AHL contract.
Undrafted and now 25, this will be Schueneman’s first NHL contract. The former USHL defenseman spent four seasons at Western Michigan University and has now played 75 games at the minor league level. 21 of those contests have come for Laval this season, where Schueneman has seven points and has been a pleasant surprise.
Though the NHL still may be a long way off, the Canadiens obviously believe Schueneman can be a valuable asset to the organization and is worthy of this kind of deal. It means he can be recalled to Montreal next season as an injury replacement, though his current role in Laval seems the more likely reprisal. In the summer of 2022, Schueneman will still be a restricted free agent with some team control.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/01/21
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
- Clark Bishop, Alex Formenton, and Filip Gustavsson have all been recalled from the Ottawa Senators taxi squad. Matt Murray has also been activated from injured reserve, and Artem Anisimov has been moved to the taxi squad to make room.
Central Division
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Tyler Lewington to the taxi squad from the AHL, sending Frederic Allard back to the Chicago Wolves in the process. Lewington, 26, played six games for the Capitals last season but hasn’t seen the NHL this year.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have moved Max McCormick to the AHL, removing him from the taxi squad for the time being. The 28-year-old has played two games for the Hurricanes this season after scoring 35 points in 56 games for their AHL affiliate last year.
- Dallas has made their daily forward shuffle. The Stars announced that Ty Dellandrea and Justin Dowling have been activated from the taxi squad.
East Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Tanner Laczynski and Linus Sandin to the taxi squad, moving Connor Bunnaman and Carsen Twarynski to the AHL. A move like this could indicate that the Flyers are looking for a new look lineup given their recent struggles.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Dallas Stars Sign Jordan Kawaguchi
One of the top undrafted college free agents has found a home, as the Dallas Stars have signed Jordan Kawaguchi to a one-year entry-level contract. The 23-year-old forward recently finished his senior season at the University of North Dakota where he served as captain. He’ll report first to the Texas Stars of the AHL for the rest of this season on an amateur tryout before his entry-level deal kicks in for the 2021-22 season. CapFriendly reports that the deal will pay him a pro-rated $750K salary, a $92.5K signing bonus, and contains $82.5K in performance bonuses.
Kawaguchi, who is actually a cousin of former NHL forward Devin Setoguchi, has done nothing but score since he arrived at UND in 2017. Through his 136 college games, he recorded 126 points including 36 this season in just 28 appearances. The 5’9″ center was an offensive weapon for the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL too before going to the NCAA, but went undrafted multiple times.
Now, after impressing for so long, Kawaguchi will get a chance to show what he can do at the professional level. The run of AHL games down the stretch is a great chance for him to show he is not just another undersized college scorer and could be a valuable asset to the organization. At the end of his one-year deal in 2022, he’ll be a restricted free agent.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/31/21
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 moved Greg Pateryn to the AHL, opening up a spot on the taxi squad for Liam O’Brien. The recently-signed forward cleared waivers today and has eight points in 12 AHL games for the Colorado Eagles, potentially moving himself up the depth chart and into an injury-replacement role with the organization. Logan O’Connor and Dan Renouf were recalled on an emergency basis, per CapFriendly, with Keaton Middleton being added to the taxi squad in place of Liam O’Brien.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled Christian Jaros, Fredrik Handemark, and Noah Gregor, with the latter two heading to the taxi squad. Jaros has been brought up directly to the NHL roster, in time for the game tonight if they choose to put him in the lineup. Antti Suomela and Jeffrey Viel were also promoted from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- The Los Angeles Kings have activated Lias Andersson, Tobias Bjornfot and Austin Strand from the taxi squad, while sending Daniel Brickley back to the AHL. To make room on the active roster, Olli Maatta has been moved to injured reserve.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Nico Sturm and Luke Johnson from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. In a corresponding move, Kyle Rau has been sent to the taxi squad.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have promoted Nicolas Hague from the taxi squad with Nick Holden being sent down to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Those two moves permitted Vegas to activate Alex Pietrangelo off LTIR as well.
North Division
- The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Tyler Graovac from the taxi squad, giving them another forward option as Adam Gaudette remains in the COVID protocol. Graovac has played two games for the Canucks this season but is still looking for his first point.
- After signing his entry-level deal yesterday, Yan Kuznetsov has been sent to the minors by the Calgary Flames per CapFriendly. The 19-year-old defenseman had six assists in his sophomore season with Connecticut before turning pro.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Alex Galchenyuk from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, with Timothy Liljegren being sent down to the taxi squad. Galchenyuk has three assists in five games with Toronto since being recalled earlier this month.
Central Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned Cam Johnson back to the taxi squad after recalling him yesterday under emergency conditions. Columbus didn’t end up needing him, getting a 37-save performance from Elvis Merzlikins instead. Johnson is really just a practice goaltender at this point and hasn’t even seen the AHL since the 2018-19 season.
- As usual on off days, the Detroit Red Wings have moved a few players to the taxi squad. Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov, and Frans Nielsen are all off the active roster for now, but it won’t be a surprise when several (if not all three) are recalled again tomorrow.
- Ty Dellandrea and Justin Dowling have been moved to the Dallas Stars taxi squad after today after the former played for the team last night. The Stars are off after their overtime loss to the Predators and now sit at 11-12-10 on the season.
- The Florida Panthers have promoted Brady Keeper to the taxi squad. The blueliner has two goals and an assist in nine games this season with AHL Syracuse.
- The Nashville Predators have sent Mathieu Olivier back to the taxi squad. The forward has played in 25 games this season and with them having so many injuries, he’ll likely be recalled for tomorrow’s game against Dallas.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Luke Schenn to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The veteran has played in 20 games so far this season, logging just over ten minutes per game on Tampa Bay’s back end.
East Division
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Justin Almeida to the taxi squad, sending Drew O’Connor back to the AHL in the process. Almeida, 22, has played in just three games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season, scoring one goal.
- The New York Islanders have sent Cory Schneider to the AHL on a conditioning loan, recalling Jakub Skarek to serve as the third goaltender for the time being. The team has also sent Grant Hutton back to the AHL, moving him off the taxi squad.
- The Boston Bruins have sent Greg McKegg and Jeremy Swayman back to the AHL, given the NHL squad doesn’t play again until tomorrow. McKegg has one goal in four games with Boston this season, but Swayman has been limited to taxi squad duties. Trent Frederic, Zach Senyshyn, and Daniel Vladar were all sent to the taxi squad as well, per CapFriendly.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Connor Bunnaman, Carsen Twarynski, Samuel Morin and Alex Lyon from the taxi squad, sending the recently-waived Shayne Gostisbehere back in their place. Philadelphia will scratch Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom tonight to give the two young forwards some rest.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Dustin Tokarski and Steven Fogarty on emergency loans, per CapFriendly. Tokarski will serve as the backup goalie with Carter Hutton injured while Fogarty picked up his first career NHL point on Saturday.
- The New Jersey Devils have sent Jesper Boqvist to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, with Marian Studenic being sent to the minors in a corresponding move. Boqvist has an assist in eight games this season.
- The New York Rangers have sent Kaapo Kakko to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. It has been a frequent move for the sophomore as of late with the Rangers looking to free up a bit of cap space.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Colorado Avalanche Sign Keaton Middleton
Though the deal had already been reported by CapFriendly yesterday, Keaton Middleton has now been officially announced as the latest signing by the Colorado Avalanche. The young defenseman has inked a two-year entry-level contract that will kick in right away, making him eligible for recall by the Avalanche if necessary.
Middleton, 23, was actually a draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016, but after two more years at the OHL level failed to sign a contract with them. After grinding in the AHL for two seasons with the San Jose Barracuda, he arrived in Colorado to play for the Eagles this year on a minor league deal. Now, after 14 games there and nearly five years since being drafted, Middleton has his first NHL contract.
The 6’5″ defenseman has never been a big offensive weapon, recording just 27 points in 116 AHL games, but adds an element of physicality and a calm defensive game. His skating, while not elite, is still good for a player of his size and that can help his long reach end rushes quickly. It seems unlikely that he’ll ever be an impact player for the Avalanche, but the team has a very good history of developing defensemen and perhaps sees a role for him down the line.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Isaak Phillips
The Chicago Blackhawks have added another prospect to the mix, signing Isaak Phillips to a three-year entry-level contract. In the release, the team indicates that the deal will run through the 2023-24 season and will carry a cap hit of $859,167. Phillips is currently playing for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.
Technically the 19-year-old defenseman would have to return to the OHL should it start back up this season, despite his early success in the professional ranks. Through 14 games for the IceHogs, the 6’3″ defenseman has six points and is more than holding his own against opponents sometimes more than a decade older than him. That bodes well for his long-term development and is a nice surprise after he dropped to the fifth round in the 2020 draft.
Selected 141st overall, no one would have expected Phillips to step right into the AHL and keep his head above water. It’s earned him an entry-level deal right away, but there is plenty more work to be done before he becomes a part of the Blackhawks blue line.
Colorado Avalanche Sign Liam O’Brien To One-Year Deal
The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Liam O’Brien to a one-year deal. The 26-year-old was signed to an AHL deal during the offseason and has earned himself an NHL deal.
O’Brien signed with the Washington Capitals as an undrafted free agent back in 2014 and while he got a taste of NHL action in his first year with 13 games, he has spent most of his career in the AHL. The forward, in fact, had appeared in 370 AHL games with the Hershey Bears over six seasons. In those 370 games, O’Brien has 63 goals, but also accumulated 638 penalty minutes. In total, he has only appeared in 17 NHL games with Washington
During the offseason, O’Brien inked an AHL deal with the Colorado Eagles and has proved his value to the organization with four goals, eight points and 15 penalty minutes in 12 games and could provide the team with some much needed grit and depth as the Avalanche have been struggling with injuries this season.
