Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/01/21

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

  • The Vegas Golden Knights have swapped goaltenders, recalling Oscar Dansk from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights and sending young Dylan Ferguson back in his place. Dansk has spent much of the season as Vegas’ No. 2 or 3 but hasn’t seen any game action, so the team has made an effort to move him to Henderson now that the AHL season has begun.

North Division

Central Division

East Division

  • Brandon Davidson has been reassigned to the Buffalo Sabres taxi squad as the team tries to regroup for tomorrow’s game. The Sabres are reeling after failing to score a single goal in a weekend back-to-back, losing both to the Flyers 3-0.
  • Those Flyers have sent Samuel Morin to the AHL, where he can continue to get in some games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Morin has transitioned from defense to wing this season but hasn’t managed a point in four games with Philadelphia.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Colin McDonald Announces Retirement After 13 Pro Seasons

After 13 pro seasons, veteran forward Colin McDonald announced his retirement from hockey. The 36-year-old forward spent most of his pro career in the AHL, but still managed to appear in 148 NHL games, most of which came with the New York Islanders between 2012 to 2015. He also played for the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers.

McDonald was drafted in the second round of the 2003 draft (51st overall) and opted to play four years at Providence College. He did eventually sign with Edmonton in 2007 and joined the Springfield Falcons of the AHL for the next three years, tallying 34 goals over the three years. He even managed to appear in two games with the Oilers in 2009, scoring one goal. McDonald was later assigned to the Oklahoma City Barons, their dormant AHL franchise in 2010 where he tallied 42 goals.

As a free-agent, McDonald chose to sign a one-year deal with the Penguins, where he spent most of the year with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL, but he did appear in five games with Pittsburgh that year. The following year he signed a two-year deal with the Islanders where his pro career really got going. He split time between the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the Islanders, playing in 45 games in New York. He followed that up playing 70 games for New York the following year. He returned for one more year, but only appeared in 18 games.

He settled in Philadephia after that, playing in 18 more games over four seasons, playing most of the time with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Last year, he signed a one-year AHL contract with Bridgeport. He played 757 AHL games over his career, captaining many of those teams during that span. In 148 NHL games, McDonald tallied 20 goals and 46 points.

 

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/28/21

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.

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned defenseman Erik Brannstrom to the taxi squad. Brannstrom has been up and down this year and looks to be another game in which he will sit out of Ottawa’s lineup. The 21-year-old has two goals and two assists in nine games with Ottawa this season.
  • The Calgary Flames returned Glenn Gawdin and Oliver Kylington to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The pair were recalled for Saturday’s game against Ottawa and will likely be brought back up for their next game against the Sens on Monday.
  • The Montreal Canadiens assigned Paul Byron to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  It’s a move that has been made frequently since he cleared waivers earlier this month with him getting recalled on game days.
  • The Winnipeg Jets assigned Logan Stanley to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  He was recalled for Saturday’s game against Montreal after Tucker Poolman was placed on IR.

East Division

  • The Buffalo Sabres made several roster moves as the team announced they have recalled defenseman Brandon Davidson from the taxi squad. That roster spot on the taxi squad has been replaced by forward C.J. Smith, who was brought up from the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The team also assigned defenseman Jacob Bryson from the Sabres back to the taxi squad and moved Casey Fitzgerald from the taxi squad back to the AHL. Davidson has already appeared in two games for the Sabres this year.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they recalled forward Mikhail Maltsev from the taxi squad. To fill the open spot on the taxi squad, the Devils have recalled defenseman Connor Carrick from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. The 22-year-old Maltsev has a goal in four games for New Jersey. He is expected to play and fill in for Nico Hischier, who is considered day-to-day.
  • The Boston Bruins made several moves in advance of their game today against the Rangers, per CapFriendly.  Recalled from the taxi squad were Greg McKegg, Steven Kampfer, and Karson Kuhlman while going to the taxi squad were Trent Frederic, Urho Vaakanainen, and Kampfer (after the game was played).
  • As has become a daily custom, the New York Rangers made several roster moves before their contest against Boston, per CapFriendly.  Recalled from the taxi squad were Igor Shesterkin, Libor Hajek, and Jonny BrodzinskiKeith Kinkaid was sent back to the taxi squad while Tarmo Reunanen and Tim Gettinger were re-assigned to AHL Hartford.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets assigned two taxi squad players to the minors. The team announced that it sent forwards Zac Dalpe and Ryan MacInnis to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Both players were recalled to the taxi squad on Thursday. The 31-year-old Dalpe has already played five games with Cleveland, posting three goals and four points. The 25-year-old MacInnis did appear in 10 NHL games with the Blue Jackets last year, but has also only appeared in five AHL games this year with a goal and an assist. UPDATE: The Blue Jackets have announced just a few hours later that both Dalpe and MacInnis have been recalled back to the taxi squad from Cleveland after the Cleveland Monsters game was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled defenseman Alex Biega from the taxi squad. The blueliner has been up and down all season between the Red Wings and the practice squad. The 32-year-old has appeared in just two NHL games this year.
  • With the loss of Jarred Tinordi on waivers to the Boston Bruins, the Nashville Predators announced they have recalled defenseman Ben Harpur from the taxi squad. Harpur, who has been going up and down between the NHL and taxi squads this year, has found himself in the lineup the last three games, averaging 17:32 of ice time and looks like he will continue to stay in the lineup for now.
  • The Dallas Stars have reassigned forward Rhett Gardner to the taxi squad. Gardner, also a player who has been up and down quite a bit this year, was recalled to Dallas Saturday. The 25-year-old has appeared in four games for Dallas.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have returned Alex Nedeljkovic and Jake Bean to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The two have been recalled and sent down frequently over the past month depending on whether or not the team playing that day.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning sent Andreas Borgman back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  With the team off until Tuesday, there’s no need for them to carry more than the minimum six defenders on their active roster.

West Division

Washington Capitals Recall Ilya Samsonov, Intend To Start Him

The Washington Capitals announced they have recalled goaltender Ilya Samsonov from the taxi squad and head coach Peter Laviolette said that he intends to start the netminder, who will be making his first appearance for Washington since Jan. 17. Veteran Craig Anderson has been returned to the taxi squad.

Samsonov has appeared in just two games this season before he and a number of Russian teammates found themselves on the COVID-19 protocol list. Once activated, the team sent him to the Hershey Bears of the AHL to find his game, but the 24-year-old has struggled there instead, posting a 3.25 GAA and a .869 save percentage in four games. Samsonov’s last game on Friday showed promise as he picked up the win, while allowing just three goals. The team hopes that giving him an easy assignment against the New Jersey Devils, who are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games, might make for an easy transition back to the NHL.

The Capitals have been relying most of the season on rookie Vitek Vanecek, who has played quite well considering the workload they have placed upon him. Vanecek has posted a 2.81 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 17 appearances. Depending on Samsonov’s success, Vanecek will likely return to the back-up role that he was projected to take this year.

The Capitals allowed starting goaltender Braden Holtby to walk in free agency this offseason as they felt that Samsonov was the goaltender of the future after an impressive season in 2019-20. In 26 games, he put up 16 wins and a .913 save percentage. He didn’t appear in the playoffs, however, due to a lower-body injury and now has seen little time so far this year.

 

WHL Notes: NHL Loans, Guenther, Knak

The Western Hockey League is finally back in action. Nearly a year since the top junior league canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the WHL has returned to play. The league announced a 24-game season back in early January with a to-be-determined late-February start date and that date was Friday, as four Central Division teams matched up. As one might expect, the re-opening of the WHL has a number of previously displaced players rushing back to their respective teams. Below are the signed NHL prospects who had been playing in the AHL that have been officially reassigned to the WHL:

Adam BeckmanMinnesota Wild –> Spokane Chiefs
Gianni FairbrotherMontreal Canadiens –> Everett Silvertips
Kaiden GuhleMontreal Canadiens –> Prince Albert Raiders
Ridly GreigOttawa Senators –> Brandon Wheat Kings
Ozzy WiesblattSan Jose Sharks –> Prince Albert Raiders
Tristen RobinsSan Jose Sharks –> Saskatoon Blades

  • The WHL season may only be one day old, but the league’s leading scorer is a name to know. Dylan Guenthera consensus top-ten prospect in the 2021 NHL Draft, started his campaign with the Edmonton Oil Kings with a pair of goals and a pair of assists to take the WHL’s top scoring spot. Guenther is one of the greatest beneficiaries of the WHL’s return, however brief, if the NHL does not postpone the 2021 draft. The top prospect was facing the possibility of missing out on his entire draft year, having only played in four games in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. While many CHL players jumped to the USHL this season, Guenther held out hope that the WHL would return and is now rewarded with 24 games to show what he can do. Likely a top-ten pick either way, the lack of certainty in this NHL draft class will now allow Guenther to fight his way into the top-five and potentially even to the top overall spot with an elite performance. A supremely skilled scoring winger, Guenther is the biggest name to watch in the WHL’s shortened season.
  • Another name to watch is Swiss forward Simon KnakDespite some expectation that he would be selected last year in his first NHL Draft go-round, Knak slipped through the cracks. That was despite finding success in his first season in North America, recording 34 points in 49 games for the Portland Winterhawks. However, the draft dream is still alive. Knak has spent this season back home in Switzerland, suiting up for powerhouse HC Davos at the top level of the Swiss National League. He held his own too, recording eight points in 25 games in his first pro experience. Knack very easily could have stayed in Davos and continued his pro career. However, possibly inspired by his recent success as well as a strong run as captain of Switzerland’s U-20 team, Knak has decided to stay true to his plans and head back to Portland. Davos announced that Knak has been recalled from his loan and is returning to the WHL, hoping to catch the eye of NHL scouts by playing a top role for the Winterhawks. The question is whether he can do enough in a shortened season to earn a selection as an overage pick.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/27/21

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.

North Division

  • The Senators announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Erik Brannstrom from the taxi squad in advance of their game against Calgary. The 21-year-old has two goals and two assists in eight games so far this season.
  • The Canadiens shuffled up their taxi squad composition, sending Alex Belzile and Cale Fleury to AHL Laval while recalling Brandon Baddock and Joel Teasdale, per the AHL’s Transactions log.  Baddock and Teasdale won’t actually join Montreal but needed to be recalled to keep their taxi squad at the minimum number of players.  As expected, Paul Byron was also recalled from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • The Jets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Logan Stanley from the taxi squad.  He will take the place of Tucker Poolman who was placed on injured reserve.  Stanley has played in 13 games so far with Winnipeg this season, averaging just under 12 minutes per game.
  • Toronto has changed up their taxi squad, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned winger Alex Galchenyuk and defenseman Martin Marincin to the minors while recalling winger Kenny Agostino and blueliner Timothy Liljegren to the taxi squad in their place.  The moves are basically to get Marincin and Galchenyuk some game action with neither suiting up over the last couple of weeks.
  • The Flames recalled center Glenn Gawdin and defenseman Oliver Kylington from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Gawdin was in their lineup against Ottawa on the fourth line while Kylington was once again a healthy scratch.

East Division

  • Ilya Samsonov is back with Washington as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled him back to the taxi squad from AHL Hershey. Samsonov has played in four games with the Bears as he works his way back from a bout with COVID-19, posting a .869 SV%.  The Capitals returned Pheonix Copley to Hershey in a corresponding move.
  • The Devils have assigned defenseman Connor Carrick from the taxi squad to Binghamton of the AHL, per the AHL’s Transactions log. The 26-year-old has only played once for New Jersey this season and cleared waivers earlier this month but will now get an opportunity to get some playing time in the minors.  Meanwhile, Matt Tennyson was recalled to New Jersey’s taxi squad.
  • Jared McCann is back, activated off the the injured reserve by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Joining him on the roster is Anthony Angellorecalled from the taxi squad. Drew O’Connor has been reassigned to the taxi squad in Angello’s place. Sam Mileticalso previously on the IR, has been activated and assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Central Division

  • The Predators have recalled winger Eeli Tolvanen from the taxi squad, per their transactions log.  The 21-year-old has been shuffled back and forth on a near-daily basis this month but still has managed to play in 10 games for Nashville this season, notching two goals and an assist.
  • The Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled center Frans Nielsen and winger Evgeny Svechnikov from their taxi squad.  Nielsen cleared waivers earlier this week while Svechnikov has been limited to just three games with AHL Grand Rapids this season.  Detroit also recalled goaltender Kaden Fulcher to the taxi squad from the Griffins.
  • Rhett Gardner is back up with the Dallas Stars. The team announced that the big, physical forward has been recalled from the taxi squad. Gardner has yet to find the score sheet through four games with Dallas and two games with AHL Texas so far this season, but was productive in the minors last year and hopes to find that touch soon.

West Division

  • The Sharks have sent winger Kurtis Gabriel to the AHL’s Barracuda from their taxi squad, per the AHL’s Transactions log.  The 27-year-old has played just one game with San Jose this season and should benefit from being able to get into a game at the minor league level.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Dryden Hunt from the taxi squad. Hunt, in his first season with the ‘Yotes, has two points in five games but has spent much of his time on the taxi squad.
  • Lias Andersson has been recalled from the taxi squad, the Los Angeles Kings announced. This has been a common transaction for L.A. this season, as Andersson is waiver-exempt and can move freely between the taxi squad and active roster. The young center has played in more than half of the Kings’ games so far.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Luke Green Loaned To Vaasan Sport

Winnipeg Jets prospect Luke Green hadn’t gotten into any of the first six games with the Manitoba Moose this season, so the team is sending him elsewhere to get on the ice. The 23-year-old defenseman has been loaned to Vaasan Sport in Finland where he can start getting some game action.

It’s been a long few years for Green, who was the 79th overall pick in 2016. His 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons were both cut short due to injuries (shoulder surgery and concussions), and after finally working his way back to full health in the fall of 2019, he was injured in December and never returned to action. That’s three lost seasons in a row at perhaps the most crucial period of a prospect’s development. In all, he has played just 28 AHL games to this point.

That doesn’t necessarily mean his professional career is over, but it seems extremely unlikely that Green will get another NHL contract when his entry-level deal expires this summer. He’ll be a restricted free agent, but unless the Jets believe they can still turn him into a useful asset, he’ll go non-tendered. Of course, he has a little time to change their minds and show that the high-flying offensive defenseman he was in junior is still in there, somewhere.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/26/21

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 Anaheim Ducks have recalled Adam Henrique from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, while sending Vinni Lettieri down to the taxi squad.  Henrique cleared waivers last weekend and is in the midst of a tough season with just three goals and an assist in 16 games.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned Patrick Brown back to AHL Henderson.  He was recalled to the taxi squad on Thursday but hasn’t played in the NHL this season.  He has a goal and an assist in four games with the Silver Knights this season.

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have kicked things off with their daily roster move, re-assigning Erik Brannstrom to the taxi squad. The young defenseman will be joined there by Filip Gustavsson, who is taking over the taxi squad goaltender from Kevin Mandolese for the time being. Brannstrom scored another goal last night for the Senators and will likely be back up by their next game.
  • The Calgary Flames have assigned Glenn Gawdin and Zac Rinaldo to their taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Gawdin made his NHL debut last weekend and has played in four games since while Rinaldo has played just once this season, logging only 2:04 of ice time.
  • The Montreal Canadiens returned Paul Byron to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The move extends Byron’s waiver exemption and saves a bit of cap space although he’ll likely be recalled in advance of Saturday’s game against Winnipeg.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs returned Joseph Woll to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  He has been dressing as the backup goalie this week on an emergency recall although with Jack Campbell being close to returning, Woll may just remain with the taxi squad until Frederik Andersen returns.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Veini Vehvilainen from the AHL, sending Gavin Bayreuther and Matiss Kivlenieks back in his stead. The Cleveland Monsters play a back-to-back against the Rockford IceHogs over the weekend.
  • The Dallas Stars have moved Landon Bow and Rhett Gardner back onto the taxi squad after Bow served as the backup last night. The 25-year-old goaltender hasn’t appeared in an NHL game since the 2018-19 season.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Tanner Jeannot to the taxi squad, rewarding a young player that is off to a blistering start in the minor leagues. Jeannot has eight points through his first six games for the Chicago Wolves. The team has also sent Sean Malone back to the AHL, while moving Eeli Tolvanen and Ben Harpur to the taxi squad for the time being.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks made several roster moves today, sending Nicolas Beaudin from the NHL roster to AHL Rockford along with Wyatt Kalynuk and Reese Johnson, who were loaned from the taxi squad.  Brad Morrison, Mikael Hakkarainen, and Matt Tomkins were all recalled to the taxi squad from the IceHogs, the latter being required with Collin Delia being sent to Rockford on a conditioning assignment.  He will officially remain on Chicago’s roster while he’s down there.
  • The Detroit Red Wings continued their daily Mathias Brome moves, assigning the winger back to the taxi squad.  He has been sent there on ten separate occasions this season but has played in all but two games with Detroit this season.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes assigned Jake Bean and Steven Lorentz to their taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both players suited up on Thursday against Tampa Bay and could be brought back with the team set to play Florida tomorrow.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning returned Gemel Smith to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  He played just over nine minutes versus Carolina and will likely be brought back up on Saturday.

East Division

  • The Washington Capitals have sent Ilya Samsonov back to the AHL, where the Hershey Bears have a game tonight against the Binghamton Devils. Samsonov has played three AHL games as he works his way back, but hasn’t fared all that well, posting an .859 save percentage.
  • The New Jersey Devils have assigned Matt Tennyson to the AHL, recalling Joshua Jacobs in his place. Jacobs, 25, played in two games for the Devils last season but has been in the minor leagues for the vast majority of his professional career.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins shuffled up their taxi squad, sending Jordy Bellerive to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while sending Josh Currie down to the taxi squad.  Both had been up on the taxi squad since last Friday but hadn’t seen any game action with Currie getting a one-day stint on the NHL roster yesterday.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have returned Rasmus Asplund and Jacob Bryson to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both players were brought up on Thursday and could be recalled again with a pair of games against Philadelphia on tap this weekend.
  • The New York Islanders have sent Oliver Wahlstrom back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  It’s a familiar assignment for the 20-year-old who has four points in a dozen games so far this season.
  • The New York Rangers made another large series of roster moves, recalling Colin Blackwell, Libor Hajek, and Jonny Brodzinski from the taxi squad, per CapFriendlyTarmo Reunanen and Tim Gettinger were recalled to the taxi squad from AHL Hartford.
  • With Jakub Voracek, Oskar Lindblom, and Scott Laughton all being instated, the Philadelphia Flyers returned Connor Bunnaman and Andy Andreoff to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Meanwhile, Isaac Ratcliffe was assigned to Lehigh Valley of the AHL.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/25/21

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 Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Patrick Brown and Logan Thompson to the taxi squad, now that they’re a day closer to getting back into action against the Anaheim Ducks. The team doesn’t have to play the game that they expected today after the latest league postponement.

North Division

Central Division

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day.

League Notes: Draft, Fines, AHL

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.
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