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Jake Neighbours Assigned To WHL

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In the first of what will soon be a cascade of moves, Jake Neighbours has been assigned to the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL. With the junior league being granted approval to play in the province of Alberta yesterday, things are moving forward on a season that starts in just under a month. Neighbours, like many top prospects, was caught in limbo somewhere between junior and the minor leagues. The 18-year-old first-round pick likely needs more time before joining the AHL and playing against professionals on a regular basis, but didn’t have a junior league to go back to until the WHL started up again.

Of course, that doesn’t mean all prospects will be going back. Only the five WHL clubs in Alberta have announced their restart plans as the league continues to work on approval in the other provinces and states that house teams. It also doesn’t have anything to do with the OHL, which is still in a holding pattern waiting for the Ontario government to loosen restrictions. The Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators don’t even have official approval yet, let alone a junior hockey league spread out across the entire province (and some of the bordering states).

For Neighbours in particular though, this is good news. The young winger scored 23 goals and 70 points in 64 games last season and likely would have been in over his head in the AHL. Now, the Calgary native can remain in Alberta and continue his development against players his own age, at least for the 24-game schedule they have planned. After the WHL season is over, Neighbours and any other prospects will be able to assigned to the minor leagues again (should there still be games to play).

His entry-level contract, which was signed in October, will slide forward for this season and could again next year should he not be in the NHL.

AHL’s Stockton Heat To Play 2020-21 Season In Calgary

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Jan 28: The AHL has officially announced the move to Calgary, where the Heat will join in the Canadian Division for 2020-21. A revised schedule will be released in the coming days.

Jan 25: In a surprising move, especially given the AHL’s return to action in less than two weeks, the Stockton Heat will not be playing in Stockton in 2021. Scott Linesburgh of The Stockton Record writes this evening that city and county officials have confirmed that the club does not intend to play out of their home city this season. Instead, the Calgary Flames’ affiliate is expected to share a home with their parent club. Linesburgh reports that this is likely just a one-year change related to the Coronavirus pandemic and cross-border logistics, though he does note that this was the final year on the Heat’s current lease at Stockton Arena.

This move will have quite the ripple effect on the AHL just ten days away from the planned start to the season. Stockton’s move north of the border, and the impossibility at this time of playing American opponents as a result, means that the AHL will have to realign on the fly once again. The Heat will be placed in the Canadian Division alongside the Belleville Senators, Laval Rocket, Manitoba Moose, and Toronto Marlies. This will mean that the Pacific Division will drop to six teams this season and the schedule, which was already released on Friday, will need to be amended. The Heat leave behind a 40-game schedule against the numerous AHL clubs in the American Southwest for an unknown slate in the Canadian Division, which has yet to release a schedule and features only one team within 1,600 miles of Calgary.

Of course, for the Flames’ purposes this means a much simpler strategy for moving players to and from the minors this season. Players who cross the border into Canada this season require a mandatory 14-day quarantine period. While the taxi squad has been implemented to offer a small group of stand-ins, any other additions for Calgary from Stockton would have left those players out of commission for two weeks. Now the team will require no wait time at all with their AHL squad expected to be sharing a facility.

The Heat’s move leaves the Edmonton Oilers as the only Canadian NHL team whose AHL affiliate remains in the U.S. or who hasn’t otherwise negotiated an agreement to send players to another AHL team in Canada, such as the Vancouver Canucks’ and Manitoba Moose’ relationship. If the Oilers plan to make such a move, they have limited time before the AHL season begins.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Several Players

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The Carolina Hurricanes are back in action tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but as of yesterday several players still remained on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list. With that in mind, the team has made a large number of transactions, starting with the recall of Morgan Geekie, Steven Lorentz, Max McCormick, and Jake Bean from the taxi squad. The team has also recalled Sheldon Rempal directly from the AHL to the active NHL roster, while adding Drew Shore and Joey Keane to the taxi squad.

The Hurricanes were forced to postpone several games after Jordan Staal, Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, Teuvo Teravainen, and Jesper Fast all found themselves on the CPRA list. Of that group, only Staal had been removed as of yesterday.

Among the recalls, all but Lorentz have already played in the NHL, with Geekie even playing two games this season. The 24-year-old Lorentz broke out last season with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, scoring 23 goals and 46 points in 61 games. Selected 186th overall in 2015, the 6’4″ forward has worked his way up through the minor league system, first spending time in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades. If he makes his NHL debut this evening, it will be quite the climb for the former Peterborough Petes player.

The team is expected to have Lorentz skate beside Staal and Ryan Dzingel on the third line, while McCormick, Geekie and Rempal make up the fourth unit. Bean, who was one of the best offensive defensemen in the entire AHL last season, will finally get another chance at the NHL level. The 13th overall pick in 2016, Bean has been stuck behind a deep NHL defensive group and has just two games to his name with the Hurricanes.

Snapshots: Dumoulin, NWHL, Engelland

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking for a general manager after Jim Rutherford’s abrupt resignation yesterday, but perhaps more urgent is their search for an answer on defense. Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that Brian Dumoulin will be out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury after exiting Tuesday’s game early. Newly signed defenseman Yannick Weber got caught in a snowstorm, meaning he won’t be available to the club until they travel to New York on the weekend, meaning things are awfully thin on the back end.

Kris Letang, John Marino, Cody Ceci, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Chad Ruhwedel, and Kevin Czuczman seem to be the only healthy options the team has with them at the moment, leaving quite a bit to be desired over their season-opening group. The organization doesn’t even have a lot of NHL-ready options in the minor leagues meaning if any other players go down tonight the Penguins might be forced to make a move.

  • The Metropolitan Riveters have withdrawn from the 2021 NWHL season after several members of the organization tested positive for COVID-19. The Riveters were taking part in the Lake Placid bubble, where the league’s six teams were playing out the regular season and playoffs. After being removed from a game yesterday, the Riveters will now be removed from the tournament completely and forfeit their bid for the Isobel Cup. All league games scheduled for today have been postponed and the NWHL will resume play on Saturday.
  • With the Henderson Silver Knights coaching staff filling in for the Vegas Golden Knights, recently retired defenseman Deryk Engelland stepped in to run the AHL practice today, according to Jesse Granger of The Athletic. Engelland announced his retirement last month but remained with the Golden Knights organization as a special assistant to the owner. In times like this, that apparently also means substitute practice coach.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/28/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • The New Jersey Devils have sent Nick Merkley to the taxi squad to make room for Jesper Bratt, who is out of the COVID protocol and will play his first game of the season tonight. Merkley cleared waivers before the season and does not need to clear them again until he plays in 10 games or spends 30 days on the NHL roster.
  • Philip Tomasino, one of the top prospects in the Nashville Predators organization, has been assigned to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL for the time being. Tomasino, 19, normally wouldn’t be eligible to play in the AHL, but since the OHL is still not operating the young forward can hone his game at the professional level. The Predators have also moved Mathieu Olivier from the main roster to the taxi squad.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Connor Bunnaman and Nate Prosser from the taxi squad and are expected to have both in the lineup tonight when they take on the Devils. Prosser, 34, will be making his Flyers debut after spending the entire 2019-20 season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The undrafted defenseman has carved out a 354-game NHL career with all but one of those games coming with the Minnesota Wild.
  • Filip Chlapik has been recalled from the taxi squad of the Ottawa Senators, as the team retroactively places Christian Wolanin on injured reserve. Chlapik, who cleared waivers earlier this month, is still just 23 years old and played in 31 games for the Senators last season.
  • Taro Hirose and Givani Smith are back up for the Detroit Red Wings, recalled off the taxi squad for game day. Since both are on entry-level contracts, the Red Wings save some cash by moving them to the taxi squad—where they earn AHL pay—between games. They also technically bank some extra cap space, though given how much room Detroit has under the $81.5MM ceiling, that seems like an unlikely motivation.
  • The Minnesota Wild have brought goaltender Dereck Baribeau up from the AHL to their taxi squad, giving them another goaltender as they deal with a minor injury for Cam Talbot. The 22-year-old goaltender played four games for the Iowa Wild and 15 for the Allen Americans last season and isn’t expected to dress for Minnesota anytime soon.
  • Joel L’Esperance and Rhett Gardner have both been recalled from the taxi squad as the Dallas Stars place Jamie Benn on injured reserve, retroactive to January 22. The pair of young forwards will give them some extra options, but don’t provide much NHL experience to replace Benn.
  • Patrick Russell and Jujhar Khaira have been sent back to the Edmonton Oilers taxi squad, while the team recalled Joakim Nygard and Devin Shore. The Oilers are back in action tonight as they welcome in the Toronto Maple Leafs, trying to right the ship on the rocky early-season waters.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Minor Transactions: 01/27/21

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With the NHL season now fully underway and many AHL training camp rosters now finalized, options are running out for remaining free agents. Fortunately, opportunities seem to always be available in Europe and in the ECHL, even with most of those league well through their current campaigns. This keeps minor moves flowing, even on a relatively quiet day for NHL transactions:

  • Scouring the recently released AHL rosters, one will find Paul Bittner suspiciously absent. The 24-year-old forward, a second round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015, has been a solid contributor for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters over the past few years. However, when his entry-level contract expired this off-season, Columbus did not extend him a qualifying offer. Unable to find another NHL deal and apparently unable or unwilling to sign in the AHL as well, Bittner is off to Sweden. Vasby IK of the second-tier Allsvenskan has announced a deal with Bittner for the remainder of the season. The 6’4″ power forward should be quite the disruptive force in the Swedish minor league.
  • Another former Blue Jackets prospect is also on the move. Defenseman Michael Prapavessis, an NCAA free agent out of RPI, did not receive a qualifying offer this off-season either following the completion of his two-year ELC. Prapavessis was less of a surprise than Bittner, having seen limited action in the AHL as well as some time in the ECHL. Seemingly unable to land an AHL contract, Prapavessis is now in the ECHL on a permanent basis, at least for now, inking a deal with the Orlando Solar Bears for the rest of the season.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned forward Jack Badini from the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The first-year pro, who was expected back at Harvard for his senior season this year, instead signed with the Ducks after the Ivy League cancelled all winter sports. The Ducks won’t rush his development this season, especially after a quiet start in the ECHL, but they want to see what he can do against AHL competition.
  • As noted yesterday, former Yale forward Curtis Hall has signed with the Bruins, but for this season it is an AHL deal with Providence rather than an entry-level contract with Boston. The Bruins expected the 2018 fourth-round pick to spend at least one more year developing in the NCAA, but that became an impossibility due to the Ivy League’s suspension of winter sports. The Bruins clearly felt that Hall, who already has pro size and was a dangerous goal scorer last season, was better off in the AHL than back in junior this season. However, they will wait to burn the first season of his ELC.

Jeremy Bracco Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Jan 27: Bracco has cleared waivers and had his contract terminated, according to CapFriendly.

Jan 26: After clearing waivers earlier this month, Jeremy Bracco finds himself there again. The Carolina Hurricanes’ forward has been loaned to KalPa in Finland for the rest of the season, while also being placed on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Should a contract termination follow, the young forward would be an unrestricted free agent once again.

Bracco, 23, has dominated the AHL at times, including a 79-point season in 2018-19 that seemed destined to earn him a call-up with the Toronto Maple Leafs. When an NHL debut never came and the Maple Leafs decided not to issue him a qualifying offer, Bracco was a free agent looking for work. He ended up signing quickly with the Hurricanes, inking a one-year, two-way deal in mid-October.

Now, with the prospect of another AHL season on the horizon, he’ll face a new challenge overseas instead. The talented playmaker still has tremendous offensive upside, but desperately needs to fill out the other parts of his game if he’s to ever live up to his second-round billing.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/27/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have moved Taro Hirose and Givani Smith back to the taxi squad after their overtime loss last night. The team is now 2-4-1 on the season and have scored just four goals in their last three games, but should be getting some reinforcements back off the COVID Protocol list at some point in the near future.
  • Connor Bunnaman and Samuel Morin were moved back to the Philadelphia Flyers taxi squad following their win last night. Bunnaman, 22, has yet to record a point this season in his three games, while Morin is still waiting to make his debut at forward after switching positions in the offseason.
  • Hunter Jones has been moved back to the AHL by the Minnesota Wild, likely meaning Andrew Hammond will be returned to the taxi squad. Hammond had been called up on an emergency basis as Cam Talbot dealt with a lower-body injury.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have sent Logan Stanley and Kristian Vesalainen back to the taxi squad, saving money on off days by moving the entry-level deals off the roster. The Jets don’t play again until Saturday, giving them some rest and practice time after playing seven games through the early part of the season. With that extra practice time in mind, they have added 2020 first-round pick Cole Perfetti to the practice squad switching out C.J. Suess who head to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. The Jets will get another chance to see what the talented young forward can do against his NHL teammates.

Snapshots: Stastny, Hall, Phantoms

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Back in October, the Winnipeg Jets made a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights to bring Paul Stastny north. In return, the Golden Knights received Carl Dahlstrom and a conditional fourth-round pick that was tied to games played by the veteran center. In essence, the condition was to provide some security for the Jets in case the 2020-21 season never happened, since Stastny is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent later this summer.

All he had to do was complete five games, which happened earlier this week when Stastny played against the Ottawa Senators. He happened to score his first goal of the season and record a pair of assists, not a bad effort for the game that caused a fourth-round pick to change hands. The selection is Winnipeg’s pick from the 2022 draft, which will now belong to the Golden Knights.

  • It appears as though Curtis Hall’s collegiate career is over, as AHL reporter Mark Divver tweets that the Yale University forward has signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins. Hall, 20, was a 2018 fourth-round pick of the Bruins and scored 17 goals and 27 points in 28 games last season for Yale. The 6’3″ center could be a valuable depth piece this season if he has indeed signed his ELC. UPDATE: Hall has actually only signed a one-year AHL deal, according to Divver. That would still end his college career but doesn’t start his ELC this season.
  • Speaking of depth, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms have added plenty of experience today by signing Chris Mueller to a professional tryout and Garrett Wilson to an AHL contract. Mueller, 34, has been a regular at the AHL level since the 2008-09 season and won the Calder Cup in both 2014 and 2018. He split last season between the Syracuse Crunch and San Diego Gulls, scoring 38 points in 60 games. Wilson, 29, has logged more than 400 AHL games of his own, including 51 last season with the Toronto Marlies. A physical forward that isn’t afraid to drop the gloves, he’s managed to rack up 205 points and 586 penalty minutes during his time in the minor league.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/26/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • Following the news that Evan Rodrigues is out “longer-term,” the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Drew O’Connor from the taxi squad today. The forward will make his NHL debut this evening against the Boston Bruins after signing an entry-level contract last March. O’Connor, 22, was an undrafted college free agent signing after he scored 33 points in 31 games for Dartmouth last season. In seven games for Manglerud of the Norweigian league earlier this season, he recorded ten points.
  • The Washington Capitals have called up Michael Sgarbossa from the AHL to the taxi squad, giving them another experienced hand as they continue to navigate a COVID-stricken roster card. Sgarbossa has 50 games of NHL experience but has played eight years of professional hockey and could step into the lineup if necessary. Later in the day, Sgarbossa was elevated again, this time to the NHL roster along with Daniel Carr. Connor McMichael and Brian Pinho have been sent to the taxi squad.
  • Dylan Cozens has been recalled from the Buffalo Sabres taxi squad, with Casey Mittelstadt replacing him there. Remember that if Cozens plays in two more games this season, his entry-level contract will officially kick in for the 2020-21 season, making him an RFA in 2023. Should he play just one more game and spend the rest of the year in the minor leagues or junior, the contract would slide a year forward again.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Nathan Gerbe back to the taxi squad, meaning Stefan Matteau is on his way back to the AHL. Gerbe has played in just one game so far this season, but did manage to record a point. He’ll remain a strong depth option for the team throughout the year.
  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled Jacob de La Rose from the taxi squad, while recalling Scott Perunovich from the AHL. The Blues will take on the Vegas Golden Knights later tonight. Perunovich, who had previously been rehabbing an injury, could be ready to go after taking the optional skate this morning with St. Louis.
  • Jordan Gross is going back into the Arizona Coyotes lineup, recalled from the taxi squad today. That means Victor Soderstrom is back out, moved back to the taxi squad as he continues his development. Soderstrom played two games for the Coyotes but is still looking for his first NHL point.
  • The Winnipeg Jets could make a lineup change this evening, after recalling Kristian Vesalainen from the taxi squad. The Jets will take on the Edmonton Oilers in a rematch of Sunday’s loss. Winnipeg is currently sitting in third place in the North Division, two points back of the tied leaders.
  • Taro Hirose and Givani Smith have both been recalled from the Detroit Red Wings taxi squad, giving them another few options as they continue to deal with a COVID-19 situation. As of yesterday, the team had five players on the CPRA list, including four forwards.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Connor Bunnaman and Samuel Morin from the taxi squad, while also activating Shayne Gostisbehere. The veteran defenseman is expected to make his season debut after spending the last stuck in the COVID protocol. Gostisbehere recorded just 12 points last season, far from his career pace and a significant disappointment. With the Flyers struggling to find the right mix of defensemen though, he’ll be welcomed back with open arms.
  • After Tyler Ennis cleared waivers earlier today, the Edmonton Oilers have moved him and Devin Shore to the taxi squad. Forwards Juhar Khaira and Patrick Russell have been recalled, giving the group a different look in the bottom-six.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Mathieu Olivier back from the taxi squad, reversing the move they made three days ago.  As a waiver-exempt forward, Olivier, who has played in three games for the Preds this season, will likely continue to be shuffled back and forth throughout the season.

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