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

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

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 CapFriendlyTimothy 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

East Division

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

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

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

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

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.

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