COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/14/21
Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. The league is still awaiting updated lists from the Sabres and Avalanche, but the following are the complete results from the other 29 teams:
Arizona – John Hayden
Buffalo – Dylan Cozens, Curtis Lazar, Jake McCabe, Casey Mittelstadt, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, Rasmus Ristolainen
Colorado – Samuel Girard, Tyson Jost, Gabriel Landeskog
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou
Minnesota – Nick Bonino, Jonas Brodin, Ian Cole, Brad Hunt, Victor Rask, Carson Soucy, Nico Sturm, Cam Talbot
New Jersey – Nathan Bastian, Nikita Gusev, Nico Hischier, Dmitry Kulikov, Travis Zajac
NY Rangers – Filip Chytil
Ottawa – Ryan Dzingel*
Philadelphia – Justin Braun, Morgan Frost, Claude Giroux, Scott Laughton, Oskar Lindblom, Jakub Voracek, Travis Konecny*
Vegas – Tomas Nosek
As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:
(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol
Players removed today: Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres; Calvin Pickard, Detroit Red Wings; Blake Lizotte, Los Angeles Kings; Jesper Bratt, Connor Carrick, Eric Comrie, Jack Hughes, Damon Severson, Ty Smith, Matt Tennyson, Sami Vatanen, New Jersey Devils; Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers; Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
It’s another strong net positive day for the CPRA. The only true addition to the list comes in the form of Flyers forward Konecny. The other addition, Dzingel, has entered the required quarantine period for any player crossing into Canada after he was dealt to Ottawa by Carolina on Saturday, but by all accounts has not qualified for any other reason. Meanwhile, the Red Wings and Lightning wipe the slate clean while the Devils take a major step forward with eight players coming off the list. Joining Dahlin back at Sabres practice today was also head coach Ralph Krueger, a welcome sight after his own bout with Coronavirus.
While the situations in Buffalo and Colorado remain undetermined at this point, the Devils appear to be on the mend and Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason stated that he expects some of his players to begin coming off the list soon as well. If the situation in Philadelphia can be sorted out – especially with their Lake Tahoe game coming up next weekend – the NHL could be looking at a refreshingly short CPRA by this time next week.
Minor Transactions: 02/14/21
Today is supposed to be about significant others, and the NHL did their part with just two games on the docket, but there are some significant moves worth paying attention to as well, both at home and abroad. Keep up with all of the day’s minor transactions right here:
- In some surprising news that will certainly require a follow-up, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have released Nick Pastujov from his AHL contract, according to league’s transaction log. Pastujov, a New York Islanders 2016 draft pick, signed with Bridgeport this fall following a successful four-year stint at the University of Michigan. Although the Isles seemingly felt he was not ready for an entry-level contract, they wanted to keep the prospect winger within the organization. Yet, without having even played a game for the Sound Tigers, Pastujov has been released from the team. It is unclear whether this was his decision or if the move was prompted by the club. The oldest of three brothers, with Michael also at Michigan and Sasha bound for Notre Dame and looking like a potential first-round NHL draft pick, Nick looked primed to begin the Pastujov era in pro hockey. It will be interesting to see what comes next for the young forward.
- Another problem prospect for the Islanders, Joshua Ho-Sang is on the move again. Still technically under contract with New York, Ho-Sang was loaned to the SHL’s Orebro HK last month. After just five games – and one point – that relationship has already been terminated. Ho-Sang has now signed on with another Swedish club, Linkoping HC, hopefully for the rest of the season, the team announced. Ho-Sang will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, but it seems unlikely that the Islanders will extend a qualifying offer.
- After bouncing around the AHL over the past few seasons, former Winnipeg Jets defenseman Julian Melchiori has found a home in Germany. Melchiori, who had played on an NHL contract in each of his first eight pro seasons, became an unrestricted free agent this off-season when his contract with the New Jersey Devils expired. Unable to find another NHL deal, Melchiori first signed in the KHL but terminated his deal in favor of a contract with the DEL’s Grizzlys Wolfsburg. Germany’s top league also had a delayed start to their season, but in just 15 games so far Melchiori has apparently impressed his new club and has enjoyed the fit himself. Wolfsburg has announced that the two sides have already agreed to a one-year extension. The team’s release called Melchiori a “leader” and “top performer” who “integrated very quickly”.
- Another former NHL defenseman, Marc-Andre Gragnani, has signed a new contract in Europe as well. Gragnani has inked a deal for the remainder of the SHL season with Djurgardens IF, the team announced. Since he last played in the NHL as a member of the New Jersey Devils in 2015-16, Gragnani has been stellar for the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk and Kunlun Red Star as one of the better offensive defensemen in the league. Even at 33, it would not be a surprise if Gragnani’s late signing this season was due to his desire to find a contract in the NHL. A journeyman in his North American days who was always far more effective in the AHL than the NHL, Gragnani no doubt has more confidence after several high-scoring seasons in Europe. He will have to re-focus now on helping his new Swedish club, as Djurgardens is still fighting for a playoff spot despite severely lacking talent on the blue line.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/12/21
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 a number of minor league veterans, bringing up Kyle Burroughs, Dennis Gilbert, Jayson Megna, Dan Renouf, Miikka Salomaki, and T.J. Tynan today. The Colorado Eagles start their season tomorrow and will apparently have plenty of young talent in the lineup.
- The Los Angeles Kings have moved Lias Andersson, Tobias Bjornfot, and Austin Strand to the taxi squad while sending Mark Alt, Mikey Eyssimont, and Tyler Madden back to the AHL. This rotation will continue for most of the season, as long as the Kings want to save some cash and cap.
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Hudson Fasching from the taxi squad, moving Michael Chaput down in his place. Fasching, 25, scored 35 points in 57 games for the Tucson Roadrunners last season and brings good size on the wing.
- The Anaheim Ducks have made another series of moves, per CapFriendly. Max Jones and Andy Welinski were shifted to the taxi squad while Olle Eriksson Ek was recalled from AHL San Diego to the taxi squad. Heading to the Gulls from the taxi squad are Anthony Stolarz, Andrew Agozzino, and Vinni Lettieri.
- With the St. Louis Blues in action tonight, they’ve promoted Mackenzie MacEachern and Jacob de la Rose to the NHL roster, per CapFriendly. The two have been shuffled back and forth recently and while St. Louis isn’t banking cap space from it since they’re well into LTIR, they’re extending the waiver exemption for both players each time they do it.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have returned Oscar Dansk and Dylan Coghlan to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both players were up on an emergency recall last night and will likely be promoted back for Saturday’s game.
North Division
- The Winnipeg Jets assigned Ville Heinola and Dylan Samberg to the AHL earlier this morning, allowing the two defense prospects to get in some game action in the minor leagues. The Manitoba Moose kick off their season against the Toronto Marlies on Monday. Later on, the Jets also moved Kristian Vesalainen to the taxi squad as they prepare for their afternoon tilt against the Ottawa Senators tomorrow.
- The Calgary Flames have reversed yesterday’s roster moves, per CapFriendly. That means that Brett Ritchie is back on the NHL roster while Byron Froese and Connor Mackey are back on the taxi squad.
- The Edmonton Oilers assigned Dylan Wells and Devin Shore to the taxi squad. Wells was promoted on Thursday to serve as Mike Smith‘s backup while Shore has played in ten games this season, notching a goal and an assist.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings did their usual transaction, moving Givani Smith and Mathias Brome to the taxi squad. This will continue to happen between games as the Red Wings try to save cash and cap space.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have returned Evan Barratt to the AHL, where he is playing in his first professional season after three years at Penn State. The 21-year-old center had an assist in his first two games for the Rockford IceHogs. Madison Bowey was also sent back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- The Nashville Predators have sent Eeli Tolvanen to the taxi squad for their off day, not the first time he’s been swapped back and forth over the last week. Tolvanen, 21, has just one goal in five games this season.
- The Dallas Stars have sent Ty Dellandrea and Nicholas Caamano to the taxi squad, moving Rhett Gardner down to the AHL to make room. Dellandrea, who was the 13th overall pick in 2018, has two points in nine games so far this season.
- As they’ve done after several games lately, the Carolina Hurricanes have returned Morgan Geekie and Alex Nedeljkovic to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The two will likely be summoned in time for Carolina’s next game on Saturday against Dallas.
- With the Tampa Bay Lightning off tonight, they’ve returned Cal Foote to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. He played a little over nine minutes last night and will likely be recalled again in time for their next game on Saturday.
East Division
- Dustin Tokarski has been recalled to the Buffalo Sabres taxi squad, with C.J. Smith going back down. The Sabres performed the opposite transaction yesterday but will give Smith another chance to play tonight for the Rochester Americans.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Karson Kuhlman from the taxi squad on an emergency basis, per CapFriendly. He has played in two games so far this season with Boston, logging just under nine minutes per game.
- The New York Islanders have once again loaned Oliver Wahlstrom to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Despite being shuffled back and forth so frequently for cap reasons, the 20-year-old has played in five games this season, notching one assist.
- It was a busy transaction day for the New York Rangers who made no fewer than seven roster moves, per CapFriendly, as they shuffled up their taxi squad and added to their roster. Kaapo Kakko. K’Andre Miller, and Libor Hajek were all recalled from the taxi squad while Keith Kinkaid, Tarmo Reunanen, and Austin Rueschoff were all recalled to the taxi squad; Adam Huska was also sent to AHL Hartford.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned Frederick Gaudreau back to their taxi squad, per CapFriendly. He was on the NHL roster for the first time this season on Thursday but didn’t suit up.
Marlies, Senators Approved To Host AHL Games
While the first part of the AHL schedule for both the Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators has already been released, with the two teams traveling outside of the province of Ontario, it still wasn’t clear how long they would have to wait to host home games. That problem seems resolved now, as Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Minister, tweets that the chief medical officer has approved a return-to-play plan for both teams to host games.
This is huge for the AHL, who had a Canadian Division of teams all circling Ontario, hoping that they would be able to play in the province before the end of their shortened season. It also provides some hope for the Ontario Hockey League, which is still on pause even while the QMJHL continues and the WHL prepares to start. There was some hope that the OHL has formed a start plan recently, but the league threw cold water on any speculation by announcing they have “not yet arrived at an approved return to play framework for the coming season.”
That speculation is going to ramp up again now that the province has allowed the Marlies and Senators to play, especially with pressure from the NHL. The OHL is one of the biggest sources of draft picks for the professional leagues and many of its players haven’t been on the ice in a competitive game in nearly a year. As explained the other day though, if the OHL does restart it will pose an interesting predicament to NHL squads that have junior-aged players suiting up in the AHL currently. Those players would need to return to their junior team once it restarts or go to the NHL, even if they’re handling themselves at the minor league level.
At any rate, this is strong news for the AHL. It happens to come on the same day that Belleville will start their season, hitting the ice against the Laval Rocket later this evening.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/11/21
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 a trio of players, bringing up John Leonard, Jacob Middleton, and Alexei Melnichuk. Leonard is expected to be put back into the lineup tonight, though Martin Jones will still be starting in net.
- Like always, the Los Angeles Kings have made several moves, recalling Lias Andersson, Tobias Bjornfot, and Austin Strand from the taxi squad. Mark Alt, Mikey Eyssimont, and Tyler Madden have been brought up from the AHL to fill the empty taxi squad spots.
- Calen Addison has earned his first NHL recall, as the Minnesota Wild announced that he has been reassigned from the AHL’s Iowa Wild to the taxi squad. Addison, acquired last season from the Pittsburgh Penguins, was quietly the centerpiece in the return for Jason Zucker, which also included Alex Galchenyuk and a first-round pick. The talented defenseman was a point-per-game player or better in each of his last three junior seasons in the OHL as well as thus far in the pros with Iowa.
North Division
- The Winnipeg Jets have swapped David Gustafsson and Tucker Poolman, with the latter joining the active roster. Poolman, 27, has played just a single game this season after suiting up 57 times in 2019-20 with the Jets.
Central Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Andrew Peeke from the taxi squad, meaning a season debut could be coming for the 22-year-old defenseman. Peeke, the 34th overall pick from 2016, recorded three points in 22 games last season for the Blue Jackets.
- The Detroit Red Wings have made their daily swap, bringing Mathias Brome and Givani Smith up from the taxi squad. The team continues to move them off the roster to save some cash and cap on off days.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled Ty Dellandrea and Nicholas Caamano from the taxi squad. To make room, Taylor Fedun has been loaned to the squad after clearing waivers and Alexander Radulov has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to February 4. Andrej Sekera has also been officially activated from the non-roster/COVID list.
East Division
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled C.J. Smith from the AHL to the taxi squad after he played for the Rochester Americans last night. Smith recorded an assist and could be on his way back down tomorrow when the AHL squad plays again. Dustin Tokarski, who was recalled to the taxi squad yesterday, has been flipped back down to the AHL.
- The New Jersey Devils have recalled Kevin Bahl and Nolan Foote to the taxi squad after they too played in the AHL last night. The two young prospects are important parts of the Devils’ future after acquiring them in trades for Taylor Hall and Blake Coleman over the last year.
- After losing Jared McCann to injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Frederik Gaudreau from the taxi squad. McCann has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to February 6.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/10/21
Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 protocol. While Los Angeles is still listed as TBA, the rest of the league is in:
Buffalo – Dylan Cozens, Rasmus Dahlin, Taylor Hall, Curtis Lazar, Jake McCabe, Casey Mittelstadt, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, Rasmus Ristolainen
Chicago – Ryan Carpenter
Colorado – Samuel Girard, Tyson Jost, Gabriel Landeskog
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Jonas Brodin, Ian Cole, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Foligno, Brad Hunt, Marcus Johansson, Carson Soucy, Jared Spurgeon, Nico Sturm, Cam Talbot, Victor Rask*
New Jersey – Nathan Bastian, Jesper Bratt, Connor Carrick, Eric Comrie, Nikita Gusev, Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Andreas Johnsson, Dmitry Kulikov, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Damon Severson, Yegor Sharangovich, Ty Smith, Matt Tennyson, Sami Vatanen, Travis Zajac
Philadelphia – Justin Braun, Claude Giroux, Travis Sanheim
Vegas – Tomas Nosek*
As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:
(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol
Players removed today: Lucas Wallmark, Chicago Blackhawks; Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils; Pavel Zacha, New Jersey Devils
Nosek has been added today after being removed from the third period of last night’s game against the Ducks. The league has issued a statement regarding the situation:
The National Hockey League announced today that, immediately upon notification that one of its Players had returned a positive test for COVID-19, the Vegas Golden Knights removed forward Tomas Nosek from Tuesday night’s game vs. Anaheim, in precise accordance with the terms of the League’s COVID Protocol. Nosek was immediately isolated from his teammates and close contact tracing was begun, also in accordance with the Protocol.
Tomorrow night’s game in Las Vegas between the Golden Knights and Ducks remains scheduled to be played at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Rapid PCR Point of Care tests will be administered to all Players and staff on both teams in advance of that game (in addition to the daily lab-based PCR testing) and any decision regarding potential postponement will be made by the League’s, NHLPA’s and Clubs’ medical officials, following all COVID Protocols and local and federal regulations.
The Devils had two players removed today, a good sign that they are heading towards a resumption of play eventually. The team is still currently shutdown while they deal with the situation.
*denotes new addition
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/10/21
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 Los Angeles Kings have performed their daily cap move, sending Lias Andersson, Tobias Bjornfot, and Austin Strand to the taxi squad. To make room, Mark Alt, Markus Phillips, and Boko Imama have been sent to the Ontario Reign. The team continues to move players on and off the roster depending on whether they play that day and will likely do so throughout the season.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have sent Tomas Jurco and Kaedan Korczak to the AHL, recalling Carl Dahlstrom and Tyrell Goulbourne to the taxi squad in their place. The Golden Knights are still scheduled to take on the Anaheim Ducks tomorrow, despite Tomas Nosek testing positive for coronavirus during the third period of last night’s match.
North Division
- The Ottawa Senators have sent Logan Brown to the AHL, allowing him to start playing minor league games now that the Canadian division is starting up. Brown, 22, was the 11th overall pick in 2016 but has still only played in 29 NHL games, none this season. In his place on the taxi squad, Matthew Peca has been recalled.
- The Calgary Flames have sent Michael Stone to the AHL, while recalling Glenn Gawdin to the taxi squad. The 23-year-old Gawdin has been outstanding in his first two seasons of professional hockey, scoring 38 and then 47 points. He seems poised to get his first chance in the NHL at some point in the near future, especially if the team continues to not get much offense from the bottom half of the roster.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have sent Giavani Smith and Mathias Brome back to the taxi squad, given it’s an off day for the team. The Red Wings fell again last night, pushing their record to 3-9-2 in the early part of the season.
- The Dallas Stars have loaned Julius Honka to the AHL while placing Ty Dellandrea and Tanner Kero on the taxi squad. Taylor Fedun, who was put on waivers earlier today, is also likely headed for the taxi squad should he clear tomorrow.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Alexandre Carrier from the AHL and placed him on the taxi squad while reassigning Anthony Richard to the Chicago Wolves. Michael McCarron and Sean Malone are both back on the taxi squad.
East Division
- The Washington Capitals have sent Daniel Carr down to the taxi squad, while sending Pheonix Copley from the taxi squad to the Hershey Bears. The Bears had their season opener postponed, but played one game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, in which Copley stopped 26 of 28 shots in a losing effort. With Hershey back in action tomorrow, he’s on his way back down. Later in the day, the team sent Martin Fehervary and Michael Sgarbossa to the minor leagues as well.
- The New Jersey Devils have sent Kevin Bahl and Gilles Senn down to the minor leagues from the taxi squad, giving them a chance to play in the coming days. Mikhail Maltsev has been moved from the NHL roster to the taxi squad, while Joshua Jacobs has been called up from the AHL to it.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Dustin Tokarski to the taxi squad, as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen prepares to make his season debut in the minor leagues. The team has also assigned C.J. Smith to the Rochester Americans.
Minor Transactions: 02/09/21
With the AHL season underway, activity has started to pick up on the signing front as teams look to bolster their rosters. Here’s a rundown of the latest moves:
- The Avalanche have signed three players to minor league deals per a team release from the AHL Eagles. Wingers Jerry D’Amigo and Riley Woods plus defenseman Miles Gendron have all inked tryout agreements with the team. D’Amigo is the headliner of the group having played in 31 career NHL games between Toronto and Columbus. Woods spent last season in Toronto’s system while Gendron, a former Ottawa prospect, spent last season with the Sens on a minor league deal.
- The Devils are taking a closer look at one of their prospects as Binghamton announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed winger Graeme Clarke to a minor-league deal. The 19-year-old was a third-round pick of New Jersey back in 2019 and with the OHL not having started yet, he hasn’t played aside from a six-game stint in Slovakia. Clarke, who must sign an NHL deal by June 1st, will have to return to OHL Ottawa if and when that league starts its 2020-21 season.
- The Lightning released winger Maxim Cajkovic from his AHL deal, per the AHL’s Transactions log. The 20-year-old was a third-round pick back in 2019 and needs to sign by June 1st or Tampa Bay will lose his rights. Cajkovic started the season with Bratislava of the ICEHL and will now report to Val d’Or of the QMJHL for his final junior season.
AHL Releases 2020-21 Regular Season Schedule
Feb 9: Finally, we have a schedule for the Canadian teams—at least part of one. The AHL has released the first few games for each of the five teams that will be operating north of the border. Belleville and Laval will kick things off on Friday, Manitoba and Toronto start on Monday, and the Stockton Heat, who are operating out of Calgary this season, begin on February 21.
Jan 22: Two weeks from now, the American Hockey League will start what it is still calling the 2020-21 season. On February 5, things will kick off with several games around the minor leagues even without a handful of teams that opted-out. League president Scott Howson released this statement today, along with the schedules of the Atlantic, North, Central and Pacific Divisions:
As we prepare for a season unlike any other in our 85-year history, our priorities are first and foremost health and safety. Our main objective is to provide a safe environment for our players to continue their development towards a career in the National Hockey League.
The schedule for the Canadian Division will not be released for now as the Belleville Senators continue to work with Ontario health officials.
This will be the 85th season in the AHL’s history and is certainly one of the more unique campaigns in recent memory. The league announced new geographic-based divisions earlier this year that will reduce travel but increase rivalry. Teams across the league will also not be playing the same amount of games. For instance, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have only 24 games on their schedule, while the San Diego Gulls will play 44 times this season.
The schedule runs through May 14, just a few days after the NHL season is set to finish.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/09/21
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 made another in their daily series of roster moves, per CapFriendly. Anthony Stolarz was recalled on an emergency basis with Lukas Dostal taking Stolarz’s spot on the taxi squad. Andy Welinski was also recalled to Anaheim’s roster with Max Jones being sent to the taxi squad.
- Michael Chaput has been shuffled back to Arizona’s taxi squad, CapFriendly reports. The 28-year-old center has played in three games with the Coyotes so far this season, averaging 11:36 per game.
- The Los Angeles Kings made several roster moves according to CapFriendly. Up from the taxi squad are Lias Andersson and Austin Strand while Tobias Bjornfot was recalled from AHL Ontario. Markus Phillips, Bokondji Imama, and Mark Alt all went from the AHL to the taxi squad while Drake Rymsha was sent to Ontario.
- The San Jose Sharks have brought back Sasha Chmelevski and Nicolas Meloche from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Chmelvski had an assist in his NHL debut back on Friday.
- Mackenzie MacEachern and Jacob de La Rose are on their way back to the Blues’ taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both have been sent back and forth multiple times so far this season.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Dylan Coghlan from the taxi squad, notes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. While Alex Pietrangelo was taken off the CPRA list, he is not yet ready to return to the lineup.
North Division
- The Ottawa Senators have sent Joey Daccord from the taxi squad to the AHL while recalling Filip Gustavsson to take his place as the third-string goaltender. Daccord, 24, was a seventh-round pick in 2015 but has turned himself into a legitimate NHL goaltending prospect who will need playing time.
- The Montreal Canadiens recalled Nick Suzuki from the taxi squad while sending Jake Evans down, per CapFriendly. When their roster has been fully healthy, they have been shuffling their waiver-exempt players on two-way contracts down one at a time to bank a bit of extra cap room.
- The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Kristian Vesalainen and David Gustafsson from the taxi squad while also officially activating Pierre-Luc Dubois who makes his debut tonight. Vesalainen and Gustafsson have both played in four games with the Jets so far this season in very limited roles on the fourth line.
- Calgary has brought up Connor Mackey from the taxi squad with Brett Ritchie being sent down. Byron Froese was also recalled in a separate transaction. It’s the fourth time this season Mackey has been recalled although he has yet to make his NHL debut with the Flames.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their daily roster shuffle with Timothy Liljegren being recalled from the taxi squad and Pierre Engvall being sent down, per CapFriendly. In addition, Kalle Kossila was assigned to the minors.
Central Division
- Mathias Brome and Givani Smith have been recalled from the Detroit Red Wings taxi squad, an expected game day move. Smith is quickly turning into quite the story for the Red Wings, with four points in his first six games. The 6’2″ forward was the 46th overall pick in 2016 and is finally working his way into a full-time roster spot.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned Liam Foudy and Cam Johnson to the taxi squad. Foudy, 21, has played in 12 games this season but was made a healthy scratch on Monday night. Johnson served as the backup during that game but still has not actually made his NHL debut. The 26-year-old is basically a practice goaltender for the Blue Jackets at this point, given he hasn’t even played an AHL game since 2018-19 (in seven ECHL games this season, he registered a .941).
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Sean Malone from the taxi squad, moving Eeli Tolvanen down in his place. Anthony Richard has also been brought up from the AHL to the taxi squad. If Malone gets into the Predators lineup, it would be just the second NHL game of his career. The Harvard University star played in a game for the Buffalo Sabres at the end of the 2016-17 season, but has spent the last three years exclusively in the AHL.
- Ryan Lomberg has been recalled to the Florida Panthers’ active roster after playing in one game for the team last month. The 26-year-old forward isn’t known for his scoring ability but can add some energy to the fourth line if put back in the lineup.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled Tanner Kero from the taxi squad while also activating Joel Kiviranta from injured reserve. Kero has played in seven games so far this season, recording two assists while Kiviranta missed the last seven games due to a lower-body injury.
- After being recalled on emergency loans yesterday, the Carolina Hurricanes have returned Morgan Geekie and Alex Nedeljkovic to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Geekie has played in eight games with Carolina so far this season while Nedeljkovic is serving as the backup with Petr Mrazek out after thumb surgery and allowed three goals on 22 shots in his 2020-21 debut last night.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Madison Bowey, notes Mark Lazerus of The Athletic. Bowey’s insertion in tonight’s lineup allows Chicago to meet the criteria needed to expose him to Seattle in expansion, permitting them to potentially protect Connor Murphy. Coincidentally, Bowey is taking Murphy’s spot in the lineup with the latter dealing with a hip injury.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have Callan Foote from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, with Christopher Gibson being sent down. Foote, who isn’t in the lineup tonight, has a goal in seven games so far this season.
East Division
- The Buffalo Sabres have sent Jean-Sebastien Dea to the AHL, giving him a chance to play after spending the last week on the taxi squad. Dea scored 39 points in 57 games for the Rochester Americans last season and has just 32 gams of NHL experience.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Trent Frederic from their taxi squad while promoting Steven Kampfer to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Frederic has been shuffled back and forth routinely although he has played in all 11 games so far this season.
- The New York Islanders have sent three players down, per CapFriendly. Oliver Wahlstrom, who has played in four games so far this season, has been sent to the taxi squad while Otto Koivula and Dmytro Timashov were both sent to AHL Bridgeport.
- The New York Rangers continued their recent trend of roster moves with Kaapo Kakko, K’Andre Miller, and Libor Hajek being loaned to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. To make room for them on the taxi squad, Justin Richards and Patrick Newell were both sent to the minors.
- Washington has flipped goaltenders, as CapFriendly notes that Craig Anderson has been sent to the taxi squad with Zach Fucale being recalled to take his place. In addition, Daniel Carr was sent to the taxi squad.