Taxi Squad Shuffle: 05/03/21
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:
West Division
North Division
- The Montreal Canadiens have assigned Xavier Ouellet to the AHL and recalled Joseph Blandisi to the taxi squad, but the latter won’t be playing anytime soon. Blandisi suffered a season-ending knee injury and will undergo surgery in the coming days.
Central Division
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned Spencer Martin to the Syracuse Crunch, moving him off the taxi squad. The Lightning have Christopher Gibson on the roster still so have the three required goaltenders covered, meaning Martin can get some more playing time in the AHL.
- The Detroit Red Wings have completed their daily goalie swap, sending Kaden Fulcher to the AHL and recalling Kevin Boyle to the taxi squad. Neither one is expected to play in the NHL unless there is an emergency.
- The Florida Panthers will give Philippe Desrosiers a chance in net tonight and have recalled him to the active roster. The team has a rotating cast of successful goaltenders and will now give Desrosiers his NHL debut.
- Matiss Kivlenieks has been recalled under emergency conditions by the Columbus Blue Jackets, giving them another healthy netminder with Joonas Korpisalo out for the year. Kivlenieks, 24, has a .926 save percentage in seven AHL appearances this season.
East Division
- The New Jersey Devils have recalled A.J. Greer from the AHL and appear to be inserting him into the lineup for his season debut. The 24-year-old hasn’t seen the NHL since playing 15 games for the Colorado Avalanche in 2018-19, spending the time since exclusively in the minor leagues. In 10 minor league games since joining the Devils organization, Greer has nine points.
This page will be updated throughout the day
North Notes: Andersen, Holl, Koskinen, Lerby
The Toronto Maple Leafs might be getting back a familiar face in net as goaltender Frederik Andersen, who has been on the ice for more than a week now saw his practice routine ramped up Sunday. Head coach Sheldon Keefe, who said today was a “good step” in his recovery from a knee injury he suffered in mid-March, according to TSN’s Mark Masters.
He is not expected to join the team on their road trip to Montreal, but is expected to participate in Wednesday’s practice as they build up his workload.
TSN’s Kristen Shilton reports that Justin Holl, who left Saturday’s game in the third period after being hit in the face with a puck, was not at practice Sunday. He was replaced in the lineup by Timothy Liljegren. Keefe said that Holl “is doing well,” but will not be travelling to Montreal with the team, according to NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger. However, Holl is not expected to be out for a significant amount of time.
- Sportnet’s Mark Spector reports that the Edmonton Oilers are expected to give some starts to goaltender Mikko Koskinen over the team’s final seven games. Koskinen, who lost his job as the team’s starting netminder, got his first start Wednesday since April 7 and fared quite well, stopping 29 of 30 shots against Winnipeg. Despite the impressive play of veteran Mike Smith, the team might want to kick the tires on Koskinen and see what he has to offer after struggling earlier this year. He has posted an 11-11 record this season with a 2.99 GAA and a .906 save percentage this season, allowing Smith to overtake him as the team’s No. 1 option.
- The Calgary Flames may be losing a prospect as defenseman Carl-Johan Lerby is close to signing a new contract with Malmo of the SHL after his two-year deal with Calgary expires this offseason, according to Johan Svensson of KvallsPosten (translation required). Of course, nothing has been confirmed, but the 23-year-old Lerby, who signed with the Flames as an undrafted free agent in 2019, has yet to make his NHL debut and doesn’t look on track to do it this season. He spent the first season of the contract on loan to Malmo and has spent this season with the Stockton Heat of the AHL where he has seven assists in 22 games.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 05/02/21
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:
Central Division
- The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have re-assigned forward Mackenzie Entwistle and defenseman Alec Regula were re-assigned to the taxi squad, while the team also assigned goaltender Matt Tompkins to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forwards Mathias Brome and Joseph Veleno from the taxi squad. Brome has one goal in 24 games this season for Detroit, while Veleno has already made three appearances for the Red Wings, although he has yet to register a point. Following their game against Tampa Bay, they announced that Brome and Veleno were sent back to the taxi squad with Joe Hicketts and Hayden Verbeek being sent back to the minors in corresponding moves.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have reassigned goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks to the taxi squad after being recalled on an emergency basis, according to the CapFriendly transaction page. He has yet to play in an NHL game this year.
- CapFriendly reports the Carolina Hurricanes have sent forwards Max McCormick, Morgan Geekie and Drew Shore to the taxi squad.
North Division
- The Montreal Canadiens announced they have assigned forward Ryan Poehling and Alex Belzile from the taxi squad to the Laval Rocket of the AHL. Poehling, who played 21 games for the Canadiens last season, has yet to make his season-debut with Montreal this year. He has 11 goals and 25 points in 28 games with Laval.
- The Vancouver Canucks have recalled forward Jonah Gadjovic from the Utica Comets of the AHL, according to the AHL transactions page. The 22-year-old has had a breakout season in the AHL with a career-high 15 goals in just 19 games.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have assigned forward Denis Malgin from the taxi squad to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. Malgin has spent the entire season on loan in the NL where he has posted 19 goals and 42 points in 45 games there. With the season over in Switzerland, he will now join the Marlies until needed.
East Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have reassigned goaltender Felix Sandstrom from the taxi squad to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. The 24-year-old has yet to make his NHL debut.
West Division
- After potting his fourth and fifth AHL goals Saturday in just eight games, the Colorado Avalanche have promoted top prospect Alex Newhook to the taxi squad, according to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. The team also promoted defenseman Dennis Gilbert, goaltender Jonas Johansson and forward Jayson Megna to the taxi squad, according to the AHL transaction page. The team has also assigned goaltender Hunter Miska and forwards Mike Vecchione and Nick Henry to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.
- CapFriendly reports that the Anaheim Ducks made several roster moves, including promoting forwards Andrew Agozzino and Vinni Lettieri as well as defenseman Josh Mahura from the taxi squad. The team has also sent goaltender Lukas Dostal and Maxim Golod back to the taxi squad.
- The Vegas Golden Knights assigned Dylan Coghlan to the taxi squad, according to CapFriendly. The 23-year-old has three goals and five points in 28 games.
- The San Jose Sharks have sent Alexander True and Alexander Barabanov to the taxi squad, according to CapFriendly.
- The Los Angeles Kings have assigned defenseman Kale Clague to the Ontario Reign of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. Clague has split the season between the two teams, playing 18 with the Kings and 18 with the Reign.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 05/01/21
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:
North Division
- The Montreal Canadiens have reassigned forwards Ryan Poehling and Alex Belzile to the taxi squad. Poehling, a 2017 first-rounder, is still looking for his first NHL game this season after skating in 27 with the Habs last year. Poehling has seemingly outgrown the AHL’s Laval Rocket, recording 25 points in 28 games this season. As for Belzile, the veteran forward made his NHL debut in the playoffs last year but has still never played in a regular season game.
- C.J. Suess will head back to the AHL, as the Winnipeg Jets have announced his demotion from the taxi squad to the Manitoba Moose. Suess has played in 24 AHL games this season, but in no NHL games. He still has just one game with Winnipeg under his belt through three seasons with the club.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Martin Marincin and Veini Vehvilainen to the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log. Marincin has been on the taxi squad a few times this season but has yet to suit up while Vehvilainen has played just twice this season – once in relief duty with Columbus and once with their farm team two months ago before he was traded to Toronto for Mikko Lehtonen.
East Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have swapped out young defensemen, sending Yegor Zamula to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms and recalling Wyatte Wylie to the taxi squad. Both in their first pro seasons, Zamula has played in a pair of games with the Flyers while Wylie is still looking for his NHL debut.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned Josh Maniscalco to the taxi squad, sending Maxime Lagace to the AHL in the process. The 22-year-old Maniscalco was an undrafted free agent signing out of Arizona State University that has yet to register a point in seven AHL games.
Central Division
- Joe Veleno is back up with the Detroit Red Wings again today, as the team has announced his recall from the taxi squad. After spending the season on loan in Sweden with the Malmo Redhawks, the top prospect returned to Detroit after his SHL season came to an end and made his NHL debut. Veleno has been held scoreless through two games so far, but will get another chance today.
- The St. Louis Blues have announced a coming taxi squad addition, as Gagarin Cup champion Klim Kostin will re-join the team on Tuesday now that his KHL season is over. Kostin played with Avangard Omsk on loan this season and recorded 18 points in 43 regular season games plus another nine points in 24 postseason game en route to a title. Now he is ready to join another playoff push.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have brought up John Quenneville to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 2014 first-round pick last saw NHL action in the bubble last summer when he played in two games but his performance this season hasn’t helped his cause as he has just a goal and an assist in 16 games with Rockford.
West Division
- The Colorado Avalanche have sent Jonas Johansson from the taxi squad to the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log. With Philipp Grubauer having returned, Johansson is back to third-string status so this move will give him a chance to get some game action. Daniel Renouf was also recalled directly to the NHL roster while Adam Werner and Hunter Miska were both brought up to the taxi squad.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled Jacob Middleton to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log. The blueliner has played just once in the NHL this season and was sent down to the Barracuda earlier in the week to get him some playing time.
- The Anaheim Ducks have once again shuffled things up, assigning Jacob Perreault and Olle Eriksson Ek back to the minors from the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log. Maxim Golod and Lukas Dostal were recalled to Anaheim’s taxi squad in corresponding moves.
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Michael Chaput from the taxi squad, giving them another option for tonight’s game against the Golden Knights. Chaput wasn’t in the lineup when the Coyotes won yesterday in the first half of the back-to-back.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
KHL Off-Season Opening Day Round-Up
The KHL off-season opened today and the league did not waste any time in making moves that have meaning to NHL fans. A number of familiar names have hit free agency today and some are already agreeing to new deals. Meanwhile, others are being traded on the first day to do so, including the rights to some players currently in North America. Keep up with all of today’s action as the KHL’s clubs get their summers started early with significant moves:
- One of the first players to sign with a new team early this morning was former NHL forward Teemu Pulkkinen. A Detroit Red Wings draft pick who also spent time with the Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, and most recently the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017-18, Pulkkinen will be entering his fourth season in the KHL and is already on to his fourth different team. After splitting this season between Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, collecting 30 points in 46 games, Pulkkinen has signed a two-year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk. The 29-year-old has scored at a .67 per-game clip in his KHL career and shows no signs of slowing down.
- SKA St. Petersberg and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod have made an interesting futures swap, trading the rights of two current NHLers. Torpedo received the rights to Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi (as well as minor league forward Danil Voyevodin) while SKA landed the rights to young San Jose Sharks goalie Alexei Melnichuk. The deal is tricky on a number of levels; while Puljujarvi is undoubtedly the biggest name in the trade, it is Melnichuk who commanded the larger side of the return. It was also KHL powerhouse SKA who received the prospect netminder and gave up the established scorer. This could be a simple case of different likelihoods of those player rights having any value. While Puljujarvi previously left the Oilers for Europe, he has finally found his NHL stride in his return this season and is unlikely to leave again. Even if he does, Puljujarvi may just return home to the Finnish Liiga as well. On the other hand, Melnichuk was born and bred in the SKA system and the team may have some insight into his future plans. The 22-year-old keeper is valued by the Sharks and even made his NHL debut this year in his first season in North America, however his AHL play has underwhelmed and he doesn’t look like a realistic full-time NHL option for San Jose next season. If the young goalie grows tired of playing in the minors in North America, he would probably be happy to jump back to his old team and take on a starting role in the KHL.
- Former Boston Bruins forward Joonas Kemppainen has signed a one-year extension to remain with SKA. The Finnish power forward didn’t work out in his lone NHL season back in 2015-16, recording five points in eleven games with Boston, but has been a productive player in the KHL for five years now. That includes a 15-goal, 29-point campaign with St. Petersberg this year that earned him an extension. The 33-year-old veteran is not a candidate to ever return to North America, but still has plenty to offer in Russia.
- Vladimir Zharkov feels like ancient New Jersey Devils history at this point, but the former top prospect continues to produce in the KHL. Zharkov, 33, spent four seasons with the Devils early in his career and was a nice fringe piece, but lacked starting upside. In the KHL since 2012-13, Zharkov has become a reliable two-way forward and locker room leader, spending many years with top programs like CSKA Moscow and Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Now he’s off to the top team in the league, signing a two-year deal with recently-crowned Gagarin Cup champions Avangard Omsk, replacing the veteran presence of the departed Ilya Kovalchuk.
- Torpedo jumped right back into the action, signing an exciting forward to a one-year deal. Marek Hrivik gave his all to a career in North America, developing in the QMJHL and spending six seasons primarily in the AHL for the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames. However, he never could earn a full-time opportunity and returned home to Europe in 2018. Even then, his first go-round in the KHL did not go all that well. However, after back-to-back stellar season in Sweden, he is ready to give it another try with Torpedo. Hrivik totaled 81 points in 90 games with the SHL’s Leksands IF these past two years and if that can translate to the KHL then the 29-year-old could become a star in Russia.
- Another trade involving NHL property has landed, but this one could have more immediate dividends. Defending champions Omsk have acquired the rights to Boston Bruins prospect forward Peter Cehlarik from Yaroslavl in exchange for the rights to Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kodie Curran. Cehlarik, 25, is already in Europe, having left Boston this past off-season to join Leksands IF in Sweden. Cehlarik always showed great promise in the AHL, but couldn’t translate it to the NHL for the Bruins. After recording 20 goals and 40 points in 45 SHL games this season, Cehlarik may want to return to Boston, who continues to hold his rights, in an attempt to prove himself once more. However, the talented winger could be tempted to join the KHL’s current kings this off-season instead. As for Curran, 31, he already did his stint in Europe and made his return to North America. The Calgary native spent the previous four seasons in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden before earning his first NHL contract with the Ducks this past off-season. While he hasn’t see any action in Anaheim just yet, he has 11 points in 17 AHL games this season and his one-way, $1MM contract still has another year remaining. However, if Curran is still not being utilized by the Ducks after next season and doesn’t draw any other NHL offers as a result, he has a new home to return to in Europe in Yarolslavl.
- After signing his entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pyotr Kochetkov has inked another deal – a one-year extension with Torpedo. The 21-year-old landed in Novgorod late in the season, but excelled down the stretch and in the postseason with save percentages of .931 and .932, respectively. Kochetkov could very well be in line for the starting role for Torpedo next season while playing on loan from Carolina.
Carolina Signs Goaltenders Pyotr Kochetkov, Eetu Makiniemi
Saturday: The Hurricanes have now confirmed the signings, adding that each young keeper has inked a two-year entry-level contract. The two contracts are financially identical except for one detail: Kochetkov’s deal will carry and $842.5K NHL salary in both seasons, as well as an $185K signing bonus and a $70K AHL salary, while Makiniemi’s is structured the same but includes a raise to $892.5K in the second year. This makes the AAV on Makiniemi’s contract $867.5K.
Perhaps the more important update comes from the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, who have announced a one-year extension with Kochetkov. This presumably means that the young keeper will spend the first season of his entry-level deal on loan to the KHL. Makiniemi is still expected to make the jump to North America for next season, which could give him an edge in the competition to determine which prospect keeper is the first in line for NHL starts.
Friday: There is about to be a total overhaul in the Carolina net. With Hurricanes goaltenders Petr Mrazek, James Reimer, and Antoine Bibeau all slated for unrestricted free agency this summer, the team is set to sign two talented prospects to join Alex Nedeljkovic in goal. Salary resources CapFriendly and PuckPedia are each reporting that young goalies Pyotr Kochetkov and Eetu Makiniemi have agreed to terms on entry-level contracts with Carolina. The duo are likely slated for the AHL for a season or two, but could challenge for NHL opportunities before too long.
Kochetkov, 21, was a highly-touted overage netminder in the 2019 NHL Draft, selected early in the second round by the ‘Canes. After years of dominating the junior and minor league ranks in Russia, as well impressing on the international stage at the 2019 World Juniors, Kochetkov finally found some success at the top level in the KHL this season. Splitting his season between Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and Vityaz Podolsk, Kochetkov was a serviceable backup with a sub-2.70 GAA for both teams and a .931 save percentage in the regular season and postseason for Torpedo. Looking to take the next step in his development, Kochetkov appears ready for the AHL and hopes that he can follow a recent influx of elite young Russian netminders and find success in his move to North America.
Makiniemi, 22, was a fourth-round puck by Carolina back in 2017. After years spent in the junior ranks in Finland, Makiniemi finally found a starting role in the Liiiga late last season. He was stellar in seven games down the stretch for Ilves, recording a .936 save percentage and 1.53 GAA. That was enough to earn him the top job for the team this year and while his numbers regressed somewhat, they did so in 34 games plus a playoff run. Having finally honed his ability at the pro level, Makiniemi also seems ready for the AHL. He may begin next season as the backup to Kochetkov, but is a legitimate threat to outplay his counterpart.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/30/21
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 Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Nicholas Robertson and Martin Marincin to the AHL, moving them off the taxi squad for the time being. Though Robertson has a bright future, Toronto increased their forward depth at the deadline, limiting his opportunity to contribute this season.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Filip Gustavsson from the taxi squad as expected, bringing in Kevin Mandolese to fill his spot on the taxi squad. The Senators are dealing with injuries in net once again, meaning Gustavsson may have to keep flipping back and forth until at least one of them returns.
Central Division
- Once again, the Detroit Red Wings have bumped Joseph Veleno back to the taxi squad, moving Hayden Verbeek to the AHL. The team continues to flip young waiver-exempt players off the active roster between games in order to save salary, with Veleno being the most recent victim. He will be back for the team’s next game.
East Division
- The New Jersey Devils have returned Nolan Foote and A.J. Greer to the AHL, giving them a chance to play for the Binghamton Devils. Foote, 20, is one of the team’s top forward prospects but wasn’t receiving regular ice time with the big club, averaging just under nine minutes in the three games he has played this season.
This page will be updated throughout the day
AHL Announces Plan For 2021 Playoffs
6:30 PM: Larry Landon, Executive Director of the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (which represents AHL and ECHL players), released a statement on the PHPA’s Twitter account today criticizing the decision to go ahead with a divisional playoff in the Pacific Division, suggesting that it goes against the wishes of the majority of the players in that division. Clearly, the decision to go ahead with the playoffs for the Pacific was not a unanimous one.
2:11 PM: There will not be a traditional Calder Cup playoffs in 2021, but that doesn’t mean the AHL won’t be holding postseason contests. Each of the four divisions were given the opportunity to decide a postseason format and while the Atlantic, North, Canadian, and Central will all simply award the divisional champion based on regular season points percentage, the Pacific Division is going to have a playoff tournament.
In an announcement, it was revealed that the Atlantic winner will be awarded the Emile Francis Trophy, the North winner will receive the F.G. (Teddy) Oke Trophy, the Canadian division winner will receive the Frank S. Mathers Trophy and the Central winner will get the Sam Pollock Trophy.
The Pacific, which will announce the format of its postseason tournament at a later date, will battle for the John D. Chick Trophy, not the Calder. That group includes the Henderson Silver Knights, who currently lead with a 21-11 record, the San Diego Gulls, Bakersfield Condors, San Jose Barracuda, Colorado Eagles, Tucson Roadrunners, and Ontario Reign.
Also in the announcement comes news on the 2021-22 season, which is set to begin on October 15, 2021 and conclude on April 24, 2022. The divisions will likely be put back to normal, but an announcement will come later this summer.
The Pacific division finishes its regular season schedule on May 16.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/29/21
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 returned Keaton Middleton and Adam Werner to the AHL, moving them off the taxi squad after last night’s loss. Werner, who was quite the story last season when he was forced into NHL action without much experience, has a strong .910 save percentage in seven AHL appearances this year. They made several more moves later in the day, per the AHL’s transactions log. Miikka Salomaki, Martin Kaut, and Dan Renouf were all sent from the taxi squad to the minors with Nick Henry and Mike Vecchione being recalled to the taxi squad. Jonas Johansson was also sent to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, suggesting that Philipp Grubauer is ready to return.
- The San Jose Sharks have sent Brinson Pasichnuk and Joel Kellman back to the minors while recalling Ivan Chekovich, per the AHL’s transactions log. Pasichnuk made his NHL debut last night against Arizona. Alexander True and Alexander Barabanov were also sent down to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
North Division
- The Ottawa Senators have bumped down a couple of goaltenders, sending Filip Gustavsson to the taxi squad and Kevin Mandolese to the AHL. Marcus Hogberg took home the win for the Senators last night, but still allowed three goals on four shots. If Anton Forsberg isn’t ready to re-join the team by Saturday, Gustavsson will likely have to be called back up to the active roster.
- The Winnipeg Jets have sent David Gustafsson from the taxi squad to the AHL, giving him a chance to continue his season with the Manitoba Moose. The 21-year-old forward hasn’t scored yet in four NHL games this season but has 13 points in 14 minor league contests.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs will start resting some key players after clinching a playoff spot last night. Kristen Shilton of TSN reports that the team will scratch Jake Muzzin, Morgan Rielly, Nick Foligno, and Jack Campbell while dressing Ben Hutton, Pierre Engvall, Timothy Liljegren, and Michael Hutchinson. The latter two were on the taxi squad, so will need to be recalled to the active roster (though could be done as emergency recalls). With those recalls, Veini Vehvilainen and Teemu Kivihalme were recalled to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, while Nick Robertson was sent to the minors.
- The Calgary Flames have brought up Byron Froese from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The veteran hasn’t seen any NHL action since mid-February and has a goal in six games this season.
- The Vancouver Canucks have sent Arturs Silovs back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Silovs is currently serving as Vancouver’s third-string option to allow Michael DiPietro to see some regular playing time in the minors.
Central Division
- As expected, Joseph Veleno has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings and will be back in the lineup tonight. The team has recalled Hayden Verbeek to the taxi squad once again.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Max McCormick and Morgan Geekie from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both players have frequently been shuffled back and forth this season and as emergency recalls, will likely be returned to the taxi squad on Friday.
East Division
- The Boston Bruins have returned Jack Ahcan to the AHL, giving him to Providence for their game this afternoon. The 23-year-old defenseman has nine points in 15 games for the P-Bruins this season, his first year of professional hockey after a long career at St. Cloud State.
- The Philadelphia Flyers are giving Yegor Zamula a second look as they’ve once again recalled him from the taxi squad. The 21-year-old logged over 19 minutes in his NHL debut on Tuesday. Felix Sandstrom and Derrick Pouliot were also recalled to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log.
- The New Jersey Devils have recalled Kevin Bahl and A.J. Greer from AHL Binghamton, per the AHL’s transactions log. Bahl’s promotion is actually straight to the NHL roster, paving the way for him to make his NHL debut tonight. Connor Carrick was also recalled from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- The Buffalo Sabres have brought back Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The 22-year-old will make his third career NHL start tonight against Boston.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Minor Transactions: 04/28/21
The playoff chase is heating up in the NHL, but elsewhere most leagues are winding down. The KHL season came to an end today with Avangard Omsk hoisting their first Gagarin Cup. The SHL, the Swiss NLA, and the German DEL are all down to just four teams apiece following the conclusion of their quarterfinal playoff rounds, while the Finnish Liiga is halfway through their quarterfinals with just six teams still alive. Even the AHL season is coming to a close, with no Calder Cup up for grabs and the regular season schedule over for some North Division teams and ending early next month for all others. As the leagues come to a close and players turn toward the future, it can cause some notable ripples in the NHL market. Here are some of those minor, but meaningful moves:
- After a dozen pro seasons, former NHL defenseman Victor Bartley has called it a career. The 33-year-old made the announcement in the most subtle way possible, changing his personal Twitter account to description to “retired professional hockey player” following the conclusion of his brief season with Unia Oswiecim in Poland. Bartley has spent the past four season in Europe, two with the KHL’s Kunlund Red Star and another with the SHL’s Orebrok HK. However, he spent the previous six seasons under contract in the NHL. Bartley spent parts of five seasons with the Nashville Predators, including skating in 50 games with the team in 2013-14. He also spent time with the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild, totaling 121 NHL games between the three clubs.
- The Boston Bruins won’t be reuniting with Linus Arnesson next season. The 26-year-old defenseman, a 2013 second-round pick, recently became a free agent at the conclusion of his SHL season. A solid stay-at-home defender who played well in a few AHL seasons, there was some belief that Arnesson might look at an NHL return following several strong seasons overseas. However, he has decided to stay at home in Sweden rather than try his luck again in North America, at least for one more year. Djurgardens IF, the program that Arnesson played his developmental hockey with, has welcomed their product home on a one-year deal, the team announced. Perhaps Arnesson will try to re-connect with the Bruins next summer, but his value seemingly decreases with each passing year.
- The Ottawa Senators are hoping that they can finally bring over one of their own second-round picks, 2017 selection Marcus Davidsson. The 22-year-old two-way forward has had somewhat of an up-and-down stretch over the past few years in the Swedish ranks, with 2020-21 as more of a low point, but was once a highly-regarded prospect and has shown flashes of NHL ability. Davidsson finished the season on a strong note though, joining Sodertalje SK of the Allsvenskan for 14 games and recording 8 points and a +5 rating along the way. However, the team announced today that Davidsson will not be remaining with Sodertalje moving forward. This frees Davidsson up to make the jump to North America if he chooses, perhaps getting back on his development track with some time in the AHL for the Senators. Ottawa risks never getting anything out of the high pick if he remains in Sweden and keeps bouncing around and not taking the next step forward in his career.
- EHC Munich wrapped up their DEL season recently and today confirmed the departures of a number of player. The list reads as a who’s who of former NHLers, including Derek Roy, Chris Bourque, Andrew Ebbett, and Keith Aulie. None of the four are realistic candidates to return to the NHL at this late point in their respective careers, but could still be off to make a difference elsewhere in Europe and potentially to guide current and future NHL prospects.