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Minor Transactions: 01/25/21

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The NHL season is still less than two weeks old with teams continuing to work out the kinks and find the right balance in their lineups. Down in the AHL, training camps are underway and the league is quickly approaching the start of the regular season. At the junior level, plans are still being made to get seasons re-started, and in the QMJHL in particular the trade deadline arrived all the same. Overseas, most leagues have been playing for quite some time and teams are already making preparations for the postseason, some of which begin as early as March. Everyone is currently making moves and several are notable to NHL fans without falling neatly into “taxi squad management”. Keep up with those transactions here:

  • The Bakersfield Condors, AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, have finalized their training camp roster ahead of their  season opener next Friday, February 5. In announcing the group, the team revealed a pair of late veteran additions. Defenseman Kevin Gravel, who played for the Oilers and did a brief stint in Bakersfield in 2018-19, has signed a one-year AHL contract. Gravel brings over 100 NHL games, including at least three in each of the past five season, to the Condors. Goaltender Angus Redmond, who did not receive a qualifying offer from the Anaheim Ducks this off-season, will join the team in camp on a PTO. Redmond’s performance through his first three pro seasons, spent almost exclusively in the ECHL, has been unspectacular, but he is a former NCAA standout that had his best season to date last year.
  • The Hartford Wolf Pack’s training camp roster also included some surprise names. In addition to the usual names – New York Rangers prospects, signed and unsigned, and AHL contract holdovers from last season – Hartford will also take a look at forward Nolan Vesey and defenseman Jordan Sambrook. Vesey, the younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jimmy Vesey, became a UFA this off-season when the Edmonton Oilers declined to extend a qualifying offer. Vesey has split the past two seasons between the AHL and ECHL and is still looking to find his footing in the pros after a successful collegiate career. Sambrook, a former Detroit Red Wings prospect and OHL standout, spent last season in the USports ranks at Brock University but is now trying to get back on track and break into the pros.
  • The QMJHL’s Val d’Ors Foreurs continue to pile up talent this season. After trading for reigning Defenseman of the Year Jordan Spence earlier this month, the team has now added a pair of prominent NHL prospects in a deal with the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Forward Samuel Poulin, a 2019 first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Sherbrooke captain, and defenseman Xavier Bernard, a 2018 New Jersey Devils selection, are headed to the Foreurs. In return, the Phoenix net a first-, second-, two third-, and sixth-round picks, including two 2021 selections.
  • Sherbrooke also added an exciting young piece to replace their outgoing veterans. The Phoenix traded first-round picks in 2021, 2022, and 2023 as well as a 2022 second-rounder to the Saint John Sea Dogs for forward Joshua Roy. Roy, a first-round hopeful in the 2021 NHL Draft, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 QMJHL Draft and recorded 17 points in his first 15 games earlier this season.
  • Colorado Avalanche prospect Alex Beaucage has also been traded in the “Q”, dealt by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies to the Victoriaville Tigres. The 2019 third-round pick of the Avs had 14 goals and 20 points through 14 games to begin this season. The Huskies land a 2022 first-round pick and 2021 seventh-round pick in exchange for the talented scorer.
  • Helge Grans, a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings last year, will take at least one more season to develop at home in Sweden. The SHL’s Malmo Redhawks have announced a one-year contract extension with Grans to keep him with the club through 2021-22, featuring an interview with the young defenseman who appreciates how he has developed with the team. A valuable combination of size and skill on the blue line, Grans is yet another prospect that Kings fans have to look forward to.
  • After playing on a temporary contract to begin his tenure with the team, NHL veteran Vladimir Sobotka has officially earned a full-year contract with Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga. The deal was well-earned, too; Sobotka’s 24 points in 25 games makes him the second-best per-game scorer on the team, behind only captain and former Florida Panther Michal Repik. While Sobotka, 33, clearly has plenty of game left in him, it remains to be seen if he will attempt a return to the NHL next season.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/25/21

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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.

  • After a loss last night, the Calgary Flames have moved Derek Ryan and Oliver Kylington to the taxi squad. The team continues to do this on off days to accrue cap space, but will eventually need to put Ryan through waivers again. After suiting up last night, the 34-year-old center has now played four games on the season; once he plays ten, he’ll have to clear again to go back to the taxi squad.
  • The New Jersey Devils have sent Nolan Foote from the taxi squad to the minor leagues, giving the young forward a chance to compete for an AHL role. The 20-year-old has still yet to make his professional debut, spending last season with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL.
  • After Connor Ingram took a leave to enter the player assistance program, the Nashville Predators recalled Kasimir Kaskisuo to serve as the team’s taxi squad goaltender. The move leaves them awfully thin at the position, with Devin Cooley (he of six career professional games) the only other goaltender in the minor leagues on an NHL contract. Should the Predators face any injury trouble to roster options Juuse Saros or Pekka Rinne, they could quickly see the bottom of their depth chart.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have moved Jonas Johansson to the taxi squad, a good indication that Carter Hutton is ready to return from his minor injury. The team has also moved Rasmus Asplund and Dustin Tokarski off the taxi squad, sending them to the Rochester Americans for the time being.

This page will be updated throughout the day as moves are officially announced. 

Scott Darling Signs AHL PTO

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Scott Darling is still working hard to find a job this season, this time inking a professional tryout agreement with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Darling had previously been in Florida Panthers training camp on an NHL PTO but was released from it just before the season began.

Darling, 32, spent last season playing in Austria after being bought out of his NHL contract, but is back in North America competing to try and get his career back on track. Once one of the most reliable backup goaltenders in the league, he posted a 39-17-9 record over three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks between 2014-17. After getting a chance to start in Carolina, everything seemed to crumble and Darling was out of the league in less than two seasons.

Perhaps returning to Rockford, where he first impressed the Blackhawks enough to call him up, will be exactly what the veteran goaltender needs to get things moving in the right direction. Darling posted a .927 save percentage in 26 appearances for the IceHogs in 2014-15.

Texas Stars Sign Six Players

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The Texas Stars have added six players on AHL contracts for the 2020-21 season, bringing in a ton of experience and depth for their minor league run. Nicholas Baptiste, Cole Schneider, Nick Moutrey, Derek Barach, Nikita Scherbak have all joined the team, while Josh Melnick re-signs after spending last season in Texas.

These aren’t just minor league depth pieces, as Baptiste, Schneider, and Scherbak actually all have NHL experience. Baptiste, 25, was a third-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2013 and played 47 games at the highest level. He split last season between the Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators, scoring 11 points in 35 games.

Schneider, 30, has just six games of experience at the NHL level but has been a force in the AHL for years. Last season he recorded 18 goals and 46 points in just 54 games for the Milwaukee Admirals.

Scherbak, 25, may be the most interesting name of the bunch, given he was a first-round pick in 2014. Selected 26th overall by the Montreal Canadiens, he received 37 games at the NHL level but never could quite make his mark. After spending some time in the Los Angeles Kings system, he left for the KHL last season and recorded 11 points in 31 games.

Texas will begin their season on February 5 against the Iowa Wild.

Tom Kuhnhackl And Tim Schaller Sign Minor League Tryouts

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The way back to the NHL for wingers Tom Kuhnhackl and Tim Schaller will first require making an AHL team.  The Bridgeport Sound Tigers (affiliate of the Islanders) announced that they’ve inked Kuhnhackl to a PTO agreement for training camp while the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (affiliate of Pittsburgh) did the same for Schaller.

Kuhnhackl split last season between the Islanders and Sound Tigers with the majority of his playing time coming in New York where he played in 28 regular season games and three postseason contests compared to just four AHL games.  However, he was unable to land a contract in free agency and didn’t secure a two-way deal with the Isles in their training camp.  He’ll now look to land a one-way AHL deal in the hopes of getting converted to an NHL contract later on.

As for Schaller, the 30-year-old played in 53 NHL games last season, the majority of which came with Vancouver.  He had just five goals and one assist to speak for it and cleared waivers at the trade deadline, largely due to his $1.9MM AAV.  He could be an option for Pittsburgh if injuries strike midseason but in the meantime, he’ll be forced to try to lock down a guaranteed AHL deal first.

Snapshots: Potvin, Stockton, NBCSN

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The Arizona Coyotes have announced that Steve Potvin has been named the head coach of the Tucson Roadrunners for the upcoming season. Jay Varady, who had served as head coach for the past two seasons, joined the Coyotes NHL coaching staff earlier this month. Arizona GM Bill Armstrong released a statement on the move:

We are very pleased to select Steve as the new head coach of the Roadrunners. Steve is a very good coach who has done an excellent job working with our prospects in Tucson the past three years. We are confident that he is the right coach to continue the development of our players and help build a winning culture in Tucson.

Potvin will be joined by John Slaney, who will continue as an assistant behind the bench for Tucson. The son of Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin, Steve has served as an assistant or skills coach with the Coyotes since the 2016-17 season and will now get his first chance to serve as a head coach in professional hockey. The AHL announced a full schedule earlier today, which includes a season-opener for Tucson on February 5 against the San Jose Barracuda.

  • Speaking of that AHL schedule, despite the league announcing a full slate of games for the Stockton Heat, Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that there is a good chance that the minor league franchise actually moves up to Calgary for the upcoming season so that it can be closer to the NHL affiliate. It’s not clear at all what that would mean for the just-announced schedule, other than the likely outcome that Stockton would have to join in the Canadian Division which includes Toronto, Belleville, Laval, and Manitoba. A move like that would need approval from the Alberta provincial government.
  • In a bombshell piece from the Sports Business Journal, it is reported by John Ourand that NBC plans to shut down NBCSN by the end of 2021. The sports network is the national home of the NHL in the U.S. currently, though that agreement is set to expire at the end of this season. It’s not clear at all how the shutdown would affect the NHL negotiation, though apparently, NBC has made it clear that “it would carve out regular windows on its broadcast channel and USA Network” as well as Peacock, their streaming service. Sean Shapiro of The Athletic examines what the news could mean for the NHL, including a potential win-win situation for the league as it prepares to negotiate a new deal.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/22/21

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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.

  • With no other real options, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Pierre-Olivier Joseph from their taxi squad under emergency conditions. The young defenseman is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the  New York Rangers. Joseph, 21, was the 23rd overall pick in 2017 and recorded 17 points in 52 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have elevated Nathan Gerbe from the taxi squad, moving Emil Bemstrom down in his place. The 33-year-old Gerbe hasn’t played yet this season but recorded ten points in 30 games last year for the club.
  • After clearing waivers, Brandon Pirri was re-assigned to the Chicago Blackhawks taxi squad. Carl Soderberg and Brandon Hagel have both been moved to the active roster. Soderberg, 35, has yet to play this season and is expected to make his debut tonight against the Detroit Red Wings.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Brian Pinho from the taxi squad as they try to fill out a roster card without their four Russian stars. Pinho, 25, scored 20 goals and 37 points in 62 games for the Hershey Bears last season and made his NHL debut in the postseason bubble.
  • Givani Smith has been recalled from the Red Wings taxi squad, giving them another forward option as more players find themselves on the COVID list. The Red Wings start a two-game series with the Blackhawks tonight with a chance to climb even further up the Central Division table.  Taro Hirose was also brought up to the taxi squad.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have activated James Neal off injured reserve, meaning someone needed to go to the taxi squad. That someone is Joakim Nygard, who has been moved off the active roster. Olivier Rodrigue, who had been serving as the taxi squad goaltender, has also swapped places with Dylan Wells. Rodrigue will report to the AHL while Wells is now the third-string option for Edmonton.
  • Samuel Morin has been moved back to the taxi squad as the Philadelphia Flyers wait for their next game. Morin, who is making the switch from defense to forward this season, has yet to get into a game.
  • Brogan Rafferty has been moved to the taxi squad by the Vancouver Canucks, as they continue to try and work out their defensive issues. Rafferty had been up on emergency loan while the Canucks dealt with several injuries, but is now back down on the team’s day off.
  • Victor Soderstrom is expected to make his NHL debut tonight after being recalled from the taxi squad by the Arizona Coyotes. The team has moved Jordan Gross down for the time being, allowing their young phenom to get into a game. Soderstrom, 19, was the 11th overall pick in 2019 and quickly became one of the top defensive prospects in the entire league.  Aaron Ness was sent to the minors while Ivan Prosvetov was added to the taxi squad.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have assigned both Lias Andersson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan to the taxi squad while the team prepares for a four-game road trip that takes them to St. Louis tomorrow. The Kings are coming off their first win of the season and looking to continue to hold their own in a tough West Division.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Mathieu Olivier from the taxi squad while also activating Mikael Granlund to the active roster after he completed his quarantine protocols.  Olivier leads the Preds in hits in the early going this season with eight while Granlund will make his season debut.
  • Anaheim has made a long list of moves, per CapFriendly.  The Ducks have recalled David Backes, Max Jones, and Josh Mahura to the NHL roster while Anthony Stolarz and Isac Lundestrom are now on the taxi squad.  Sonny Milano has been placed on IR while Lukas Dostal has been sent to AHL San Diego.
  • The Boston Bruins have shuffled Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The two have been shuffled multiple times already this season to bank cap room and will likely be recalled for tomorrow’s game against Philadelphia.
  • Colorado has recalled Martin Kaut on an emergency basis, per CapFriendly.  Conor Timmins was sent back to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.  Erik Johnson isn’t expected to play tonight and Kaut’s addition will allow the Avalanche to dress 12 forwards and six defensemen.
  • The Islanders have shuffled Kieffer Bellows back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The winger has played in all four games this season but with them off until Sunday, New York can save nearly $15K in salary by sending him back for two days.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have flipped defensemen again as Andreas Borgman has been recalled with Luke Schenn going to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  While they’re so deep into LTIR where the small cap savings will be irrelevant, doing so extends Schenn’s waiver exemption a little longer.
  • Vegas has recalled Cody Glass from the taxi squad, notes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  Nicolas Hague has been sent back down to the taxi squad, meaning the Golden Knights will go back to dressing 13 forwards and just five defensemen.

This page will be updated throughout the day as more moves are officially announced. 

Minor Transactions: 1/21/21

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With AHL training camps underway for some teams and soon beginning for others, there has been some activity on that front today as well as some overseas news.  Here’s a rundown of some of those moves.

  • The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, affiliate of the Blue Jackets, announced the signing of winger Nick Lappin to a minor-league deal. He spent last season under contract with the Blues but didn’t get into a game with them but has 60 career NHL contests under his belt, all with New Jersey.  The Monsters also announced the additions of defenseman Brandon Fortunado and winger Evan Polei on loans from the Predators and Blues, respectively.
  • Veteran winger Ty Rattie has opted to sign in Finland, joining Assat Pori per a team release. The 27-year-old last saw NHL action in 2018-19 where he played in 50 games with Edmonton but spent last season in the KHL after failing to catch on with another NHL team.
  • After spending the last two seasons in Anaheim’s system on AHL contracts and parts of three more on NHL deals before that, veteran winger Corey Tropp has headed overseas as Straubing of the DEL announced that they’ve signed the 31-year-old to a one-year contract. He last saw NHL action back in 2017 and has 149 career NHL games under his belt over parts of four seasons.
  • The Ducks have signed defenseman Madison Bowey to a minor league PTO agreement, their AHL affiliate in San Diego announced (Twitter link).  He spent the bulk of last season with Detroit, notching 17 points in 54 games while logging nearly 18 minutes a game.  Considering he’s still just 25, it’s a bit surprising that he had to settle for an AHL tryout but at least he has a team for now to try to work his way back to the NHL.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Peyton Jones

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The Colorado Avalanche have added some more goaltending depth, signing Peyton Jones to a one-year contract for the 2020-21 season. Jones will be immediately assigned to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.

Jones, 24, is coming off a strong four-year run with Penn State including a Hobey Baker nomination in 2020. The 6’3″ goaltender has suited up for eight games with the Utah Grizzlies this season after signing a two-year AHL contract last spring, but will get an unexpected opportunity to sign his first NHL deal in this unique season.

Though he isn’t expected to challenge for the starting role with the Avalanche, he could potentially serve as a taxi squad goaltender for the team as they deal with injuries. The club currently has Hunter Miska on the active roster and Adam Werner on the taxi squad, not leaving much for the Eagles to work with once their season begins. Jones could now potentially fill that taxi squad goaltender requirement at times, allowing the AHL netminders to get playing time in the minor leagues.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/21/21

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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 Washington Capitals have recalled Craig Anderson from the taxi squad while replacing him with Connor McMichael. The team of course is dealing with a breach of COVID protocol by several top players, including goaltender Ilya Samsonov who will now be unable to practice or play for a certain amount of time. With Samsonov sidelined, Anderson will join Vitek Vanecek in the crease.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Michael McCarron, Philip Tomasino, and Ben Harpur from the AHL to the taxi squad, while sending Cole Smith from the taxi squad to the AHL. The 19-year-old Tomasino will be the most interesting name of the bunch after his excellent World Junior performance a few weeks ago. Selected in the first round, Tomasino is one of the top prospects waiting for the OHL to return and is currently eligible to play in the AHL.
  • Morgan Barron and Matthew Robertson have both been assigned to the AHL from the New York Rangers taxi squad, giving them a chance to take part in minor league training camp. The pair of prospects are just starting their professional careers (with Robertson even eligible to return to the WHL) and need any development time available to them.
  • Spencer Martin has been recalled to the Tampa Bay Lightning taxi squad, giving them an extra goaltender as Curtis McElhinney remains on the CPRA list. Martin, 25, has played just three games at the NHL level and none since the 2016-17 season.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled MacKenzie Entwistle and Reese Johnson from the AHL to the taxi squad. Johnson, 22, has yet to see an NHL game and had just eight points in 52 AHL games last season for the Rockford IceHogs. Entwistle meanwhile had a much better start to his pro career, scoring 26 points in 56 games last season for Rockford.
  • In the wake of their injuries, the Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Samuel Morin from the taxi squad. Morin has experience at defense but has been training for a transition to wing to continue his career. He said during training camp that he had been watching Matt Martin and hoped to imitate that kind of impact.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have added Taro Hirose to their taxi squad, recalling him from the AHL.  The winger played in 26 games with Detroit last season, picking up two goals and five assists while adding 27 points (5-22-27) in 35 games with Grand Rapids.  The spot on the taxi squad was opened up Wednesday when Kevin Boyle was sent to the Griffins.

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