Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/16/21
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 Arizona Coyotes have sent Ivan Prosvetov to the AHL, giving him a chance to play instead of just serve as a practice squad goaltender. The 22-year-old saw a little bit of action earlier this month but with Antti Raanta‘s return wasn’t expected to dress very often.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled Alexander Barabanov, Jacob Middleton, and Jayden Halbgewachs from the AHL to the taxi squad, with Halbgewachs actually traveling down and then back up in the same day.
North Division
- Though the recall of Cole Caufield made headlines, the Montreal Canadiens actually also returned Otto Leskinen to the AHL–a move deserving of its own mention. Leskinen, 24, played one game for the Canadiens this season but was pushed further down the depth chart by some deadline additions. The undrafted defenseman is a restricted free agent this summer and one has to wonder whether he’ll return to Finland given he has spent most of his time in North America toiling in the minor leagues.
- With the Vancouver Canucks now preparing for action on Sunday, the team has recalled Ashton Sautner and Brogan Rafferty under emergency conditions. Jack Rathbone was also recalled to the taxi squad, giving the team a few extra bodies that may be needed over the weekend. Several Canucks regulars are expected to be held out despite clearing the protocol. Rathbone, who was playing in Utica, will need to go through the seven-day quarantine before actually being added to the Canucks roster.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have assigned Frans Nielsen to the taxi squad after he sat out yesterday’s 4-1 win. After winning their last three the Red Wings have climbed up to 26th in the league. While that may not seem like much, turning the corner toward winning is an important part of any rebuild.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have returned Ben Thomas to the Syracuse Crunch, after making his NHL debut earlier this month. The 24-year-old defenseman played a total of four games but failed to register his first NHL point.
East Division
- The Washington Capitals have sent Craig Anderson back to the taxi squad, moving Zach Fucale back to the AHL in the process. Ilya Samsonov was listed as day-to-day with his upper-body injury, but this move suggests he could be ready to at least back up tomorrow afternoon.
- The New Jersey Devils have shuffled several players between the minor leagues and taxi squad, most notably Nolan Foote, who has been recalled for just the second time in his career. Foote is still waiting on his first taste of NHL action but does have 16 points in 20 games for the Binghamton Devils this season. Matt Tennyson has also been recalled to the taxi squad, while Ben Street and Joshua Jacobs are on their way back to the AHL.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Minor Transactions: 04/15/21
The NHL Trade Deadline may be over, but noteworthy player movement continues. With NCAA and Europeans ending, there are players becoming available with NHL appeal for next season and beyond. Track their movement right here:
- One of the heroes of the NCAA Champion Massachusetts Minutemen has found his first pro contract. UMass leading goal scorer Carson Gicewicz has signed a two-year AHL contract with the Rockford Ice Hogs that begins next season, hypothetically keeping him with the club through the 2022-23 season. However, if Gicewicz continues to find the back of the net in the pros as he did in his final collegiate season, the Chicago Blackhawks may be forced to make him an entry-level offer before then or else risk losing him to another NHL team. Gicewicz was one of the best goal scorers in the NCAA this season, recording 17 tallies in 28 games. He finished fourth overall, behind such top NHL prospects like Montreal’s Cole Caufield and Colorado’s Sampo Ranta. While Gicewicz was a grad transfer at UMass, following four years at St. Lawrence, making him an older prospect at 24, he still brings plenty of potential to the pros. However, the first step will be to show that this season wasn’t a fluke after his first four collegiate season left a lot to be desired. If Gicewicz keeps it up though, his time on an AHL deal could be short.
- Vadim Shipachyov has long been an intriguing name to NHL fans. The KHL superstar has been scoring at elite levels for a decade, begging the question of what he could bring to North America. With 637 points in 646 KHL games, Shipachyov has long has the label of one of the best players outside of the NHL. Even after a failed attempt at making the jump with the Vegas Golden Knights in their inaugural 2017-18 season, Shipachyov has continued to score at a torrid, league-leading rate in Russia and many still wondered if he could try again in the NHL and find success with another club. Well today that question has been answered, likely for the final time. Shipachyov, now 34 years old, has signed a three-year extension with KHL powerhouse Dynamo Moscow, likely putting to rest any thoughts of an NHL comeback. A two-time Gagarin Cup champion, three-time KHL points leader, and six-time KHL All-Star, Shipachyov will just have to settle for his accolades in Russia having never really given North America a fair shake.
- The SHL’s Malmo Redhawks have worked quickly to clarify their plans for the off-season following an early playoff elimination. The team has announced that nine of their players on expiring contracts will not return to the team. Among that list is Detroit Red Wings prospect Joe Veleno, who obviously will not be back after spending the season on loan with the QMJHL out of action. However, a surprise separation came in the form of Oskar Magnusson, a 19-year-old prospect of the Washington Capitals. The 2020 seventh-round pick has been developing in the Malmo system for many years, but has failed to make much of an impact in his recalls to the top club, so they have cut ties. Magnusson will have to find a new team with which to continue his development, likely still in Sweden but leaving open the option to jump to North America if the Capitals feel that is the best step. One final familiar name leaving Malmo is veteran forward Matt Puempel. Unable to find an NHL contract this off-season, Puempel joined the Redhawks in January. However, he only played in 15 games with the team, recording five points. Without much luck in his first foray into Europe, Puempel could look to return to North America this off-season. With 87 career NHL games and a long history of AHL scoring success, there should be a job for him at some level.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/15/21
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 San Jose Sharks have recalled Greg Pateryn to the taxi squad, returning Nicolas Meloche to the minor leagues in the process. Meloche, 23, has played in six games for the Sharks this season but is now rejoining the San Jose Barracuda for the time being.
- The Los Angeles Kings have returned Austin Strand to the AHL, given he hasn’t played an NHL game in more than a week now. The 24-year-old defenseman has 13 NHL games under his belt, all this season, but has managed just a single point.
North Division
Central Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Josh Dunne from the taxi squad and are expected to put him in the lineup tonight against the Stars. Dunne, 22, signed his entry-level contract a few weeks ago following his junior season at Clarkson University and has recorded three points in seven AHL contests since.
East Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Wade Allison from the taxi squad, bringing up Andy Andreoff from the AHL to fill his spot. Allison is expected to make his NHL debut tonight after just eight games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The former Western Michigan University star is in his first year of professional hockey and made quite an impression in the minor leagues, scoring nine points in his eight-game AHL stint.
- The New York Rangers have recalled Gabriel Fontaine to the taxi squad, sending Jonny Brodzinski back down to the Hartford Wolf Pack. Fontaine, a sixth-round pick from 2016, has yet to make his NHL debut.
- The New Jersey Devils have recalled Ben Street to the taxi squad, not for the first time this season. The veteran forward has been up and down throughout the year, but hasn’t actually gotten into the NHL roster.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Michael Houser from the taxi squad, but they won’t be recalling an extra goaltender to take his place. The league has given permission for the Sabres to use an emergency backup goaltender as their taxi squad option due to their current injuries.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Prospect Notes: OHL, U18, Kostin
The Ontario Hockey League hasn’t played a game in over a year. The junior league is the last member of the CHL still not playing, but there was hope that that could change in the next few weeks and allow young players to get back on the ice. That looks unlikely now, as David Hains of Queen’s Park Briefing reports that due to the changing health situation the OHL season has been “benched until further notice.” Ontario’s Minister of Sport Lisa MacLeod told Hains that it would be “irresponsible” to send the young players back into action right now.
It seemed in March as though things were moving towards a shortened season, with MacLeod even confirming that the OHL and the province had reached an agreement on the return to play that has since been thrown out. Though the door hasn’t been completely closed, it is looking less and less likely that there will be any meaningful OHL season.
- The 2021 U.S. U18 roster has been announced for the upcoming World Championship, scheduled to take place in Frisco and Plano, Texas starting later this month. The group includes Jack Hughes–no not that Jack Hughes (or even that Jack Hughes)–who is one of the top prospects for the 2022 draft. Hughes, 17, is committed to Northeastern for the 2022-23 season. The rest of the roster includes many other top prospects and should be an impressive group for the upcoming tournament.
- Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic pointed out on Twitter that Klim Kostin is currently playing game seven in the KHL conference finals, and could be headed to North America should his club fail to advance. The 21-year-old Kostin signed his entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues way back in 2017 but went to the KHL on loan this year when there was still uncertainty surrounding the NHL and AHL seasons. In four games with the Blues last season, he scored a goal and could be an option down the stretch for them once he sorted out visa and quarantine issues. (As of this writing, Kostin’s team is up 2-1 and he has an assist.)
Snapshots: Calgary Event Centre, Marlies, Canucks
The new arena development in Calgary has hit a snag, as Tom Ross of 660 News reports. Kate Thompson, CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation released a statement about budget issues:
At this early stage in the project, there is a difference in the current budget estimate and the program requirements for the facility. Given the significance and importance of the project, the parties have jointly agreed to pause the project team to allow time to resolve these challenges. The decision to take this pause is the responsible and prudent approach to ensure we find the best solutions to move the project forward successfully, without incurring any additional costs on the project while these discussions progress.
Construction on the new arena development was expected to begin in August after the city of Calgary and the Flames agreed to split the cost in 2019. Ross reports it was due to open in 2024, but does not speculate on what kind of delay this pause will cause. Eric Francis of Sportsnet offers some clarification from a source who says “the arena isn’t in jeopardy.” The Flames have been playing in the Saddledome (currently the Scotiabank Saddledome) since 1983.
- The Toronto Marlies have shut down their operations for the time being and three games have been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. Matches on April 15, 18 and 21 have been postponed, though no make-up dates have been determined at this point. The Marlies are 10-11-1 through the first 22 games of the season and have lost their last three. It is not yet clear if the entire minor league roster will be unavailable for call-up to the Toronto Maple Leafs—as was the case during other AHL outbreaks this season—or if the protocol is just affecting a select few.
- The Vancouver Canucks are operating as though their season will resume later this week and today recalled two players from the AHL. Guillaume Brisebois and Arturs Silovs have been recalled to the taxi squad. The Canucks had 16 players still on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list yesterday, though that number is expected to continue to decrease as players finish their mandated quarantine and test negative. The team is scheduled to play on Friday against the Edmonton Oilers.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/14/21
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 Arizona Coyotes have recalled Kyle Capobianco from the AHL and placed him on the taxi squad. The 23-year-old defenseman has bounced up and down the last several seasons but still has just 14 NHL games under his belt. In 18 matches with the Tucson Roadrunners this year, Capobianco has 12 points. Ivan Prosvetov has also been assigned to the taxi squad.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled Jacob Middleton, Nicolas Meloche, and Jayden Halbgewachs from the AHL, sending Greg Pateryn back to the San Jose Barracuda in the process. The Sharks sent some of their depth players like Nick DeSimone, Antti Suomela, Fredrik Claesson, and Stefan Noesen away during the trade deadline, leaving room for some minor leaguers to get a bigger opportunity down the stretch.
North Division
Central Division
- The Chicago Blackhawks have re-assigned Nicolas Beaudin, Ian Mitchell, and Matt Tomkins to the taxi squad, as both Adam Boqvist and Calvin de Haan are both missing practice due to injury. Beaudin, 21, has 10 points in nine games with the Rockford IceHogs and will likely soon be a staple on the Chicago blue line.
- Philip Tomasino, one of the Nashville Predators’ top prospects, was recalled to the team’s taxi squad today from the minor leagues. The 19-year-old forward has 20 points in 18 games for the Chicago Wolves in his first year of professional hockey. Tommy Novak has been returned to the AHL in his place.
East Division
This page will be updated throughout the day
Cole Koepke Signs With Tampa Bay Lightning
After seeing his teammate turn pro, Cole Koepke has also decided to sign his entry-level contract. The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed the University of Minnesota-Duluth forward to a two-year entry-level deal that will start in the 2021-22 season. Koepke has signed a professional tryout agreement with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL for the remainder of 2020-21.
The 22-year-old Koepke was selected in the sixth round of the 2018 draft and has spent the last three seasons racking up goals and points in the NCAA. In 2019-20 he was nearly a point-per-game forward with 33 in 34, and though that rate dipped a bit this season he was still nominated for the Hobey Baker Award as one of the nation’s best players.
He was ranked eighth among Corey Pronman’s list of drafted NCAA prospects who could elect free agency after the season for The Athletic. Normally a player would have to wait four years from his draft year to reach unrestricted free agency, but since Koepke was passed over and wasn’t selected until he had already turned 20, he doesn’t have to wait as long. It doesn’t actually matter now, as Koepke has decided to sign with the team that drafted him and start his pro career with Tampa Bay.
In January, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic suggested that Koepke could potentially develop into a third-line NHL talent. The 6’1″ winger is a volume shooter who put up 15 goals even in this year’s shortened season and continues to drive the puck to dangerous areas. Whether he’ll be able to continue that at the professional level isn’t clear, but even earning an entry-level deal after being a sixth-round pick is a win.
Minor Transactions: 04/13/21
The trade deadline has passed and movement in the NHL will slow considerably for the next several weeks. Still, deals for college free agents and international players should keep trickling in as players start to make decisions about their hockey-playing future. We’ll keep track of the notable minor moves right here.
- The Rochester Americans have signed Brent Gates, Brendan Warren, and Stefanos Lekkas to professional tryouts. Gates, originally selected in the third round by the Anaheim Ducks, has split the last few seasons between the San Diego Gulls and Tulsa Oilers (with a short stop with the Indy Fuel). Once captain of the University of Minnesota, the 23-year-old Gates never signed an NHL deal. Warren comes with much the same story, a third-round pick that spent four years playing college hockey and never signed an NHL deal. Lekkas, a goaltender, also played four years of NCAA hockey, but was never drafted in the first place and has spent the majority of his career so far in the ECHL.
- According to AHL reporter Mark Divver, the Chicago Wolves have signed Zach Solow to an amateur tryout, an interesting result for a player that some believed would land an NHL contract after his senior season at Northeastern. The undersized forward had 24 points in 21 games this season while serving as captain, but will now have to prove his worth in the minor leagues before earning an entry-level deal.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/13/21
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 recalled Conor Timmins and Dan Renouf to the taxi squad, filling the last two spots. The Avalanche bolstered their depth at every position over the last week and were already one of the most impressive teams in the NHL.
- The Dallas Stars have returned Rhett Gardner to the taxi squad. The 25-year-old has a goal and assist in 20 games so far this season.
- The San Jose Sharks have flipped taxi squad goalies, assigning Alexei Melnichuk to AHL San Jose while recalling the recently-signed Zach Sawchenko, per the AHL’s transactions log. Melnichuk is likely to see some time with the Sharks down the stretch but only has made one appearance since March 20th in the minors so he needs some game action.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have sent Cody Glass to AHL Henderson. While he has spent most of the season in the NHL, yesterday’s acquisition of Mattias Janmark doesn’t leave them with enough cap room to keep Glass on the active roster. Rather than keep him on the taxi squad, he’ll get some playing time with the Silver Knights.
- The Los Angeles Kings have made several taxi squad moves per the AHL’s transactions log. Lias Andersson and Austin Strand were sent to AHL Ontario with Aidan Dudas and Cole Hults being recalled to the tax squad. The Reign are in action tonight giving Andersson and Strand a chance to play.
North Division
- The Montreal Canadiens have sent Jake Evans and Cayden Primeau back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both players were in uniform on Monday and will likely be recalled for Wednesday’s game against Calgary.
- The Winnipeg Jets have returned Kristian Vesalainen to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The 21-year-old has been recalled three times over the past week but hasn’t played in an NHL game since February.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought up Scott Sabourin and Martin Marincin from the taxi squad while assigning Michael Hutchinson back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Sabourin is making his Maple Leafs debut tonight while Hutchinson is able to be sent back with David Rittich now on Toronto’s active roster.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have assigned Taro Hirose, Frans Nielsen, and Givani Smith to the taxi squad after yesterday’s win. The Red Wings continue to move players off the active roster between games in order to save some cash. Several, if not all three, will be up again in time for Thursday’s match. Later in the day, the team also moved Kaden Fulcher to the AHL from the taxi squad.
- The Florida Panthers have recalled Noah Juulsen from the AHL according to George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. The Panthers added Brandon Montour a few days ago but he has yet to make his Florida debut.
- With the Carolina Hurricanes off today, they’ve returned Jake Bean and Morgan Geekie to the taxi squad. Neither player is a stranger to this process as they’ve been on this list regularly this season.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Michael McCarron, Rem Pitlick, and Tanner Jeannot from the taxi squad. Of that group, McCarron isn’t eligible to play as he serves the final game of his suspension.
East Division
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Paul LaDue from the AHL to the taxi squad, giving them an extra defenseman after trading Jonas Siegenthaler. LaDue, 28, has six points in 16 games for the Hershey Bears this season.
- The Boston Bruins returned Jack Ahcan to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Mike Reilly‘s acquisition allowed Boston to send Ahcan, who has played in just two NHL games this season, back down.
- The Buffalo Sabres recalled Arttu Ruotsalainen and Dustin Tokarski from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Ruotsalainen has a goal in two games this season while Tokarski has played in five games.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
San Jose Sharks Sign Zach Sawchenko
The San Jose Sharks snuck a signing in before the deadline, as AHL goaltender Zach Sawchenko has earned his first NHL deal. The Sharks have announced that Sawchenko has signed a two-year entry-level contract that starts this season. CapFriendly adds that the deal carries the minimum salary for both years, $700K in 2020-21 and $750K in 2021-22, for an AAV of $725K. Sawchenko will have an AHL salary of $80K in both seasons, albeit prorated for the current year.
Sawchenko, 23, was once a highly-regarded young prospect. A two-time WHL First Team All-Star with the Moose Jaw Warriors and a member of Canada’s 2015 U-18 World Juniors team, Sawchenko looked like a budding NHL prospect, but was somehow never drafted. He even attended two years at the University of Alberta, with his stellar numbers again pointing toward pro potential. The Sharks finally gave the netminder a shot last season, signing him to a minor league contract. He found success right away, putting up strong numbers in limited AHL and ECHL action, and this season has been even better. Through two seasons, Sawchenko has a .912 save percentage and 2.76 GAA in 16 AHL games and a .928 save percentage and 2.42 GAA in 20 ECHL games.
Signing Sawchenko now serves a couple different purposes for the Sharks. Firstly, San Jose needed another pro option this season following the trade of Devan Dubnyk. The team plans to use other youngsters Josef Korenar and Alexei Melnichuk as interchangeable backups to Martin Jones for the rest of the year, so Sawchenko is unlikely to see any NHL action too quickly. However, there are no other pro goalies in the system for San Jose and in the event of an injury at the NHL level Sawchenko would become third-string and would likely be on the taxi squad down the stretch or in the postseason should the Sharks qualify. Signing Sawchenko to a two-year deal this season also allows the Sharks to reduce his cap hit for next season below the league minimum without actually having to pay him the full salary for this season. In the event that he is able to crack the NHL roster at any point next season, Sawchenko will be as affordable a player as possible.