Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/31/22
Say goodbye to January with five games on the NHL schedule, including the first of a home-and-home between the New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs. Unfortunately, the Devils will be without head coach Lindy Ruff for both games after his father’s passing a few days ago. Ruff is on leave from the organization, and assistant coach Alain Nasreddine will run the bench in his absence.
As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling:
Atlantic Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have sent Calvin Pickard and Luke Witkowski to the AHL after the former made two appearances in recent days. Pickard, 29, stopped 36 of 38 shots he faced in an improbable win against the Pittsburgh Penguins a few days ago.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Mark Kastelic and Lassi Thomson from the taxi squad ahead of their game tonight against the Edmonton Oilers. Erik Brannstrom has also been cleared from the COVID protocol and could be available.
Metropolitan Division
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Lucas Johansen from the AHL to the taxi squad, suggesting the young defenseman could be close to his second game of NHL action. Selected in the first round in 2016, Johansen has just one game under his belt with the Capitals, coming exactly a month ago.
Central Division
- The Minnesota Wild have reassigned Andrew Hammond and Kyle Rau to the Iowa Wild. After its game on Wednesday, the taxi squad will be dissolved, meaning Hammond would have needed to go back anyway. Later in the day, they assigned Matt Boldy and Connor Dewar to the taxi squad. Boldy at least will be recalled again before the Wednesday game.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have loaned Austin Strand to the taxi squad while moving Christian Wolanin up to it from the AHL. The team has one game remaining before the All-Star break, in Detroit on Wednesday night.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Sweden Announces 2022 Olympic Roster
Jan 31: Djuse and Gustafsson have been ruled out because of positive COVID results, meaning Theodor Lennstrom and Philip Holm will replace them on the roster.
Jan 21: With just three weeks until the 2022 Winter Olympic men’s hockey tournament gets underway, rosters are being finalized by all the participating countries. Sweden is the latest to reveal who will represent their country in Beijing next month, announcing a roster filled with names that are familiar to NHL fans. While the best league in the world won’t be going to the international event, there’s still plenty of NHL experience that will hit the ice.
The full roster:
G Magnus Hellberg
G Lars Johansson
G Adam Reideborn
D Lukas Bengtsson
D Erik Gustafsson
D Emil Djuse
D Oscar Fantenberg
D Christian Folin
D Linus Hultstrom
D Jonathan Pudas
D Henri Tommernes
F Daniel Brodin
F Mathias Brome
F Jacob de La Rose
F Dennis Everberg
F Max Friberg
F Pontus Holmberg
F Linus Johansson
F Carl Klingberg
F Marcus Kruger
F Anton Lander
F Joakim Nordstrom
F Fredrik Olofsson
F Gustav Rydahl
F Lucas Wallmark
Like the Finns, Sweden has gone with a veteran lineup filled with NHL and international experience, passing on many of the country’s top young prospects. One interesting name though is Holmberg, a 22-year-old forward that actually signed his entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer. He’s playing in Sweden this season on loan and has 28 points in 33 games. He is the youngest player on the roster by several years and basically represents the only prospect included. Selected in the sixth round in 2018, it would be quite a find for the Maple Leafs if he can continue his high level of play in North America next season.
Jonathan Toews, Nathan MacKinnon In Concussion Protocol
Jan 30: Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos was correct when he reported MacKinnon underwent surgery, as Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar confirmed today. MacKinnon has been ruled out for the All-Star Game, and Bednar told reporters including Baugh that Mikko Rantanen was “an easy case” as his replacement. That case may be ineffective though, as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period tweets that it will be Roman Josi who replaces MacKinnon instead, giving the Central Division another defenseman.
Jan 28: Two high-profile centers are unavailable for their teams at the moment because of head injuries. Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon has been ruled out for the team’s last three games before the All-Star break as he deals with a facial fracture and concussion from Taylor Hall‘s hit on Wednesday night. The Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado’s opponent tonight, will be without Jonathan Toews as he is also in the concussion protocol. Toews finished his last game against the Detroit Red Wings, though Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago noticed a hit that could have caused the issue.
With MacKinnon out, the Avalanche will go with a top line of Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen, and Valeri Nichushkin, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic. Dylan Sikura, recently recalled, will enter the lineup on the fourth line and play in his second NHL game of the season. Sikura has 31 points in 29 games for the Colorado Eagles this season.
Obviously, the loss of MacKinnon is a big one, given his place as one of the top players in the entire league. With 43 points in 31 games so far, he was named to the Central Division All-Star team, a spot that now seems up for grabs. It is unlikely that he would participate after suffering an injury like this, meaning there should be a replacement named in the coming days. Given he was the “captain” of the group, that will also have to be decided if MacKinnon is indeed held out of the event.
For Toews, this is just the latest in what has been a difficult season. Coming back from his missed 2020-21 campaign, the 33-year-old forward hasn’t exactly been himself, registering just four goals in 43 games so far. In 2019-20 he had 18 but had previously never recorded fewer than 20 in any of his first 12 NHL seasons. With just 19 points in those 43 contests, he ranks fifth on the Blackhawks in scoring, well behind Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat who have carried the load thus far. He’s also averaging fewer than 18 minutes a night for the first time in his career and will now potentially miss some time with a concussion.
Matt Roy Enters Protocol; Mikey Anderson Placed On IR
The Los Angeles Kings have lost two defensemen for the next little while, as Matt Roy and Mikey Anderson will both miss today’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Roy has been placed in COVID protocol, while Anderson hits injured reserve after suffering an upper-body injury against the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday. The team has recalled Jacob Moverare from the taxi squad in a corresponding move.
Roy, 26, has been asked to play a bigger role in Los Angeles this season, with Sean Walker missing the season and Drew Doughty out for a considerable stretch early on. The seventh-round pick is averaging more than 21 minutes a night and has spent more time short-handed than anyone else on the Kings roster. Selected 194th overall in 2015, Roy made his NHL debut during the 2018-19 season and has continued to develop into a valuable option, skating mostly with Olli Maatta or Alexander Edler.
Anderson, meanwhile, is another mid-round pick that has been developed into a full-time contributor. Selected 103rd overall in 2017, he quickly made his way to the NHL and has played in 44 games for the Kings this season. Until leaving early yesterday, he was also averaging more than 20 minutes a night on the year and trails only Roy and Anze Kopitar in terms of total short-handed ice time.
By their profiles, you can see that losing both Roy and Anderson at the same time will have some drastic effects on the Kings’ back end. While they aren’t as important as someone like Doughty, they are key parts of a group that is performing better than many expected. The depth in Los Angeles will be tested, though luckily after today they have just one more game before the All-Star break.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/30/22
There are just a few days left before the All-Star break, but the NHL is still furiously scheduling to try and keep things on track. Despite two football matches that will likely dominate the ratings in North America, seven hockey games are on the docket. That includes a Los Angeles Kings-Pittsburgh Penguins match this afternoon, where newly-extended Jeff Carter will take on his former team once again. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Cole Reinhardt to the taxi squad from the AHL, and moved Mark Kastelic and Lassi Thomson to the taxi squad from the active roster. Kastelic, 22, made his NHL debut yesterday, playing just over six minutes and recording three hits.
- With Paul Byron and Brendan Gallagher expected to return for the Canadiens today, Lukas Vejdemo, Sami Niku, and Josh Brook have all officially joined the Laval Rocket. Montreal is now without David Savard for eight weeks, meaning the team may end up needing Niku again at some point.
- Florida Panthers defenseman Chase Priskie continues his up-and-down slide this year, as the team’s loaned him to the taxi squad. Goalie Spencer Knight was also brought up to the taxi squad after some time with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.
Metropolitan Division
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Kasper Bjorkqvist, and Michael Chaput to the taxi squad, as they prepare for this afternoon’s game. The Penguins have just one game after today before the All-Star break, after which the taxi squad is scheduled to dissipate.
Central Division
- With Marcus Foligno unavailable for tonight’s game versus the Islanders, the Minnesota Wild recalled forward Kyle Rau from the taxi squad today. Rau will slot into the lineup as Foligno sits out with an upper-body injury.
- Defenseman Cam Dineen is joining the big club again, heading up to the Arizona Coyotes taxi squad today from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. Dineen is in the midst of his best professional season, notching four assists in his first 14 NHL games and five points in six AHL games.
Pacific Division
- The Vancouver Canucks have returned Spencer Martin to the AHL, after he gave them some very valuable minutes. With Thatcher Demko and Jaroslav Halak both hitting the COVID list at the same time, Martin stopped 113 of 118 shots in three appearances, continuing what has been an outstanding campaign for the 26-year-old netminder.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Hockey Canada Updates Olympic Coaching Staff
Jan 30: Colliton will be taking over as head coach of the Canadian team, as Julien is not able to travel with the team due to an injury. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff tweets that Julien fell during a team-building activity during their training camp in Switzerland and suffered fractured ribs.
Jan 14: When the NHL pulled out of the Olympics, so too did the management and coaching staffs that were set to lead Team Canada. Doug Armstrong had been brought in to serve as general manager, while Jon Cooper was supposed to serve as head coach. Since they’ll be busy with NHL duties, Hockey Canada has picked a new pair of familiar faces to lead the program.
Shane Doan will serve as Team Canada GM for the upcoming Olympics, joined by assistant general manager Scott Salmond, a member of Hockey Canada’s executive staff. The coaching staff will officially be led by Claude Julien, along with assistants Jeremy Colliton, Nolan Baumgartner, and Tyler Dietrich. Tom Renney, Hockey Canada’s CEO, released this statement:
We are excited to announce our experienced management group and coaching staff that will lead Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team at the 2022 Olympics. With less than a month until the men’s tournament gets underway at the Olympics, we are excited to continue working with the entire staff as it prepares to represent Canada and build a roster that Canadians can support as it looks to bring home an Olympic gold medal.
Doan and Julien were easy choices after leading the Canadian contingent at the recent Channel One Cup, an event that was basically a backup plan for Olympic preparation should the NHL decide to pull out. Doan also has plenty of international experience and even participated in the 2006 Olympics with Canada. Julien was an assistant on the 2014 squad and has also been part of several other Canadian coaching staffs over the years.
In the release, Salmond says that he looks forward to “unveiling the roster in the coming weeks” but does not give a firm date for the announcement. The tournament starts for Canada on February 10, when they’re set to take on Germany.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
David Savard Out Eight Weeks With Ankle Injury
The Montreal Canadiens have suffered injuries this season at a rate no one could have expected, and it isn’t slowing down. Late last night, the team ruled out David Savard for eight weeks with his right ankle injury.
Savard, 31, last played on January 27 against the Anaheim Ducks, racking up more than 21 minutes of ice time. Before missing last night’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, he was one of just two players on the team to suit up for every match. Nick Suzuki now stands alone as the only Canadiens to have played in all 43 games.
Signed in the offseason to a four-year, $14MM contract after winning the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Savard got off to a terrible start in Montreal. At times he seemed nowhere near the reliable top-four option he’d been in Columbus and even saw his ice time drop to around 15 minutes for a few games early on. Recently, he’d turned around his season and played better for the Canadiens, logging more responsibility, engaging physically more often, and generally staying out of the penalty box.
That progression will now be put on hold as he faces a two-month recovery, one that will leave him with just a handful of games left at the end of the regular season. It’s been a nightmare in Montreal this year, one that Canadiens fans can’t seem to wake up from.
Colton Sceviour Clears Waivers
Saturday: Sceviour has cleared waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. He was assigned to the taxi squad with Lagesson being brought back to the active roster.
Friday: The Edmonton Oilers had to clear a roster spot for Evander Kane, who is expected to play tomorrow night against the Montreal Canadiens, so Colton Sceviour is the odd man out. Sceviour has been placed on waivers today by the team, while William Lagesson was also assigned to the taxi squad.
Sceviour, 32, played just 7:57 last night against the Nashville Predators, receiving just 12 shifts and none in the final six minutes of the third period. His role on the team had diminished throughout the season, and he’s now available to others for the low cost of a waiver claim.
Signed to a one-year, two-way contract that carries a cap hit of $750K at the NHL level, he could potentially be a nice fourth-line addition for teams dealing with injury problems or inconsistency from their depth players, as Sceviour does have more than 500 games of experience. In 30 games this year for Edmonton, he has five points and was a key penalty killer for the club, getting almost 20% of his ice time short-handed.
More On J.T. Miller Trade Speculation
The Vancouver Canucks now have a brand new front office leadership group, with president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford, general manager Patrik Allvin, and assistant general manager Emilie Castonguay. Quite the trio in terms of varied experience and expertise to take over a floundering franchise.
Allvin, introduced just this week, now has plenty of work to do in order to get up to speed before the March 21 trade deadline. When asked about whether he’ll be taking the lead on some of those decisions while his new general manager gets comfortable with the organization, Rutherford explained that he hired Allvin to make those calls but he could still be involved:
No, no. Patrik is going to do that work. It’ll be involving everyone in the organization, everyone’s going to have their input. But Patrik has to gather all of that information and make his decision. He certainly doesn’t have to come to me every time he’s making a decision, but when we get into some of the bigger decisions, I’ll be a little bit more involved, but it’s Patrik’s job. He’s the general manager, he has to work hard and make those decisions.
One of those big decisions that Rutherford could potentially be involved in is the future of J.T. Miller, since what the Canucks do with their leading scorer could point to what direction the franchise will take in the near future. Miller is having an outstanding offensive campaign with 44 points in 41 games and is signed through next season at a very reasonable $5.25MM cap hit. The Canucks are certainly not in a desperate position to cash in with a deadline trade, and could even decide to hold onto Miller longer than his current deal if an extension could be worked out down the road.
That might be why twice in the past 24 hours Pierre LeBrun has referenced a potential asking price on Miller and suggested that the Canucks may be letting teams know that they better get in their best offer well ahead of the trade deadline. On TSN’s Insider Trading and in his latest column for The Athletic, LeBrun notes that to start a serious conversation about Miller, a team would have to be willing to part with three or four assets. The fact that he’s signed for another year allows the Canucks to be “picky,” as LeBrun puts it.
Recently, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported that the New York Rangers were the team that was showing the most interest in Miller, with the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, and Minnesota Wild also all linked to the Canucks forward.
Jakob Chychrun, one of the other big names being tossed around in relation to the trade deadline, has also drawn speculation about a three-asset asking price. Jeff Marek of Sportsnet has reported several times that the Arizona Coyotes have already been offered a first-round pick, and two players selected in the first round. Chychrun has three more years on his current contract after 2021-22 but is also at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to performance this year, as he’s mired in a brutal campaign amid the tanking Coyotes.
If the Canucks decide they want to go through a bit of a rebuild, trading Miller would certainly help. Vancouver’s prospect pipeline is rather bare, with Scott Wheeler of The Athletic recently ranking them 28th in the league and listing Jack Rathbone, a 22-year-old fourth-round pick with 35 games of professional experience as their top name. The team is already without their second and third-round picks for the upcoming draft (though they have Winnipeg’s third from the Nate Schmidt deal), and desperately needs to inject the system with some talent even if it’s not a full tear down.
All of that said, there’s no guarantee that the best offer for Miller comes at this deadline. Perhaps an even better deal could be worked out by Allvin and the Canucks in the offseason when every team is still theoretically a contender. The 28-year-old does not hold any trade protection in his deal–the Canucks voided that clause when he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019–meaning he could be a draft day prize for a team on the upswing.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
We’re coming up on the NHL All-Star break and a few days past the halfway point of the schedule. Jakob Chychrun and John Klingberg are squarely in the rumor mill, as the Coyotes and Stars try to squeeze the most value out of their departing defensemen. Evander Kane‘s situation is still up in the air, and players from around the world are departing for the Olympics.
With all that in mind, it’s time to run another edition of the PHR Mailbag. If you missed the last one, it was broken into two parts. In the first, our Brian La Rose examined the Philadelphia Flyers situation right as they fired Alain Vigneault, wrote about the Kane situation before his minor league incident, and took a look at the disappointing Winnipeg Jets campaign. In the second, he projected out future point totals for players like Matty Beniers and Cole Perfetti, looked at J.T. Miller as a trade candidate, and discussed the struggles for many of the Canadian teams this year.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend and answer as many questions as possible.