Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/11/22
Despite the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers game getting canceled late last night, there’s still a full slate of matches on the books for tonight. Seven games including the red-hot Colorado Avalanche taking on the Nashville Predators, Evgeni Malkin potentially making his return, and the Bruce Boudreau-led Vancouver Canucks trying to continue their climb up the Pacific Division standings. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Buffalo Sabres have reassigned Brett Murray to the taxi squad, giving them another body as they deal with COVID absences. Alex Tuch and Kyle Okposo are out of the protocol and on the ice, but are not expected to play tonight according to John Vogl of The Athletic.
- The Boston Bruins have returned Troy Grosenick and Steven Fogarty to the AHL, while also ending Tuukka Rask‘s PTO with the Providence Bruins. That suggests that an NHL deal could be coming down the pipe for Rask, who has yet to actually play a game this season.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Remi Elie to the Syracuse Crunch, sending him back down after just one game with the big club. The 26-year-old winger has nine points in 13 games with Syracuse this season.
Metropolitan Division
- The New York Rangers have recalled Tyler Wall to the taxi squad, giving them an extra netminder for the time being. Wall, 23, has split this season between the AHL and ECHL, posting a .900 save percentage in eight games with the Jacksonville Icemen. Later in the day, they sent Wall, Tarmo Reunanen, and Nils Lundkvist back to the AHL while recalling Braden Schneider. If Schneider gets into a game, he’ll be making his NHL debut after just 26 career games in the minor leagues.
- After his third career start didn’t go quite as well as the first two, Zach Fucale has been sent back to the AHL by the Washington Capitals. The club will go back to Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov, but now at least know that Fucale can handle himself at the NHL level.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have officially activated Evgeni Malkin from injured reserve, but needed a few additional players for tonight’s game as they deal with COVID-related absences. Louis Domingue, Anthony Angello and Radim Zohorna have all been recalled to the main roster.
Central Division
- Mikhail Berdin has been sent back to the Manitoba Moose from the Winnipeg Jets taxi squad, where he can play tomorrow night. The Moose are one of the best teams in the AHL this season but it’s not necessarily because of Berdin, who has just an .896 save percentage in 16 appearances. Now that he’s out of COVID protocol, the Jets have also sent Arvid Holm to the AHL.
- The Arizona Coyotes have made several recalls to fill in for their COVID placements, bringing up Victor Soderstrom, Vladislav Kolyachonok and Ivan Prosvetov to the taxi squad. Soderstrom, 20, is one of the top defensive prospects in the world and has played in nine games for the Coyotes this season. Selected 11th overall, he has 12 points in 17 games at the minor league level.
- The St. Louis Blues have recalled both Nathan Walker and Calle Rosen to the taxi squad, with more changes likely coming before game time on Thursday. The Blues are dealing with several COVID-related absences and will need to make adjustments, though this time around the league has rules that help out in emergency recall situations.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Cole Smith and Matt Luff to the active roster, the former coming directly from the AHL. Smith, 26, is only in his second season of professional hockey but has 17 points in 27 games for the Milwaukee Admirals and has played in two games for the Predators.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have moved Samuel Fagemo and Jacob Moverare to the taxi squad once again, a near-daily transaction for the club. Moverare finally made his NHL debut but Fagemo still hasn’t, despite being recalled several times. The 21-year-old forward does have ten goals and 14 points in 26 games for the Ontario Reign this season.
- The Edmonton Oilers have loaned Markus Niemelainen to the AHL, though the big defenseman showed well in his NHL opportunity and could be back before long. The 23-year-old Niemelainen has played in seven games this season, and though he is still looking for his first NHL point, it’s the 6’5″ presence that was so impressive.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Columbus Blue Jackets Suspend Gregory Hofmann
Jan 11: EV Zug has announced that once “NHL transfer formalities” are completed, Hofmann will resume his contract there. That would suggest he will be placed on unconditional waivers today.
Jan 10: The Columbus Blue Jackets have decided that a suspension is their only option. Gregory Hofmann has been suspended indefinitely by the team, with general manager Jarmo Kekalainen offering the following explanation:
Gregory was given permission by the club to step away for personal reasons and informed us today that because of those reasons he has decided not to return. Obviously, we are disappointed, but we have no other recourse than to suspend him.
By suspending him without pay, Hofmann’s cap hit will not count toward the Blue Jackets’ total.
The 29-year-old forward signed a one-year, $900K contract with Columbus this offseason after a long career in Switzerland, and had played in 24 games so far this season. Though he had scored just two goals and seven points, his play had been impressive enough to earn more ice time of late, including nearly 20 minutes in his second to last game.
Given a leave of absence in late December, Hofmann’s reason at the time had to do with the birth of his first child. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic tweets that as recently as yesterday, Kekalainen had expected Hofmann to be back soon.
By suspending him instead of terminating his contract, the Blue Jackets will retain Hofmann’s rights through the end of the season. The Swiss league technically does not have a transfer agreement with the NHL and therefore could theoretically sign him, but they usually respect North American contracts (and related suspensions). Hofmann will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Ottawa Senators Sign Tyler Boucher
Jan 10: Boucher has been officially loaned to the 67’s, meaning he’ll be in junior for the rest of the season.
Dec 28: Tyler Boucher‘s college career will last just 17 games, as the Ottawa Senators have signed the top prospect to an entry-level contract. Now ineligible to return to Boston University, Boucher is expected to be loaned to the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL, the CHL team that selected him in 2019. Senators general manager Pierre Dorion had this to say:
We’re pleased to have Tyler under contract. He’s a power forward who plays a heavy, physical game. He’s driven, is strong with the puck, has a big shot and goes hard to the net. His good hands in tight areas will be of particular benefit to him going forward. We expect him to be an important part of this team’s future.
Boucher, 18, was selected 10th overall in this year’s draft, picked just before Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cole Sillinger. A member of the U.S. National Team Development Program for the past several years, he played 17 games at Boston University this season and recorded just three points. Boucher had been invited to the U.S. Summer Showcase in June, but didn’t manage to earn a spot on this year’s World Junior team. He’ll be eligible again next year and should have a better chance after playing at the OHL level, where his offensive game should find more room to operate.
The son of longtime NHL goaltender Brian Boucher, he should have lots of support as he makes the switch to OHL hockey. Brian Boucher also played in the CHL, taking his talents to the WHL to play for the Tri-City Americans. His son will now try to make a similar transition before making the leap to the NHL down the road, and the Senators will be there to guide him the whole way.
Another one of the team’s high draft picks, Boucher was nevertheless selected a little higher than many expected. Ranked 25th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and 29th by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, most thought he’d come off the board right around the end of the first round. Instead, the Senators obviously saw a player that could support some of their other high-end talent with his physical brand of hockey, something that didn’t diminish even in a more limited role at BU. At the CHL level he should be able to use that power and strength to find some more space.
Dmitry Orlov, Carl Hagelin Placed In COVID Protocol
3:40pm: The Capitals have announced that Carl Hagelin has also entered the protocol and will be unavailable this evening.
10:08am: The Washington Capitals were going to be close to full strength, but Dmitry Orlov will not be available when they take on the Boston Bruins tonight. The veteran defenseman has entered the COVID protocol and missed the team’s morning skate, one that was attended by both T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom, back from a stint on injured reserve.
Orlov, 30, has been his usual reliable self this season, playing 21 minutes a night for the Capitals and chipping in offensively. Through 36 games he has 17 points, good enough to tie him for fifth on the team in scoring. Losing him, even if it is just for this one game, will leave a hole on the Washington blueline. Luckily, the team doesn’t play again until Saturday, allowing the potential of Orlov getting through the protocol in the minimum five days and missing just one game.
While that may not be very realistic, the team will at least have two other veterans back as Oshie and Backstrom return from their non-COVID illnesses. The team also had Ilya Samsonov on the ice at practice, but appear to be going with Zach Fucale for tonight’s match, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. Through three appearances, Fucale has allowed just a single goal while he has been in the net–and watched Carl Hagelin put it into the empty Washington cage on a delayed penalty.
Snapshots: Kane, Ryan, LaFontaine
The San Jose Sharks officially filed the termination of Evander Kane‘s contract yesterday, but it was met with a grievance from the NHLPA last night, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. How it will all work out is still very much unclear, but for now, Kane and his representatives have begun searching for a new home.
In fact, Dan Milstein, Kane’s agent, told LeBrun that there is a lot of interest in his client who will be signing a one-year deal for the rest of this season. Darren Dreger of TSN said on the radio today that 15-20 teams have expressed some level of interest, with the Edmonton Oilers being one of them.
- It appears as though Bobby Ryan‘s bid to represent the United States again at the Olympics won’t come to fruition, as former NHL player Marc Methot tweets that Ryan hasn’t made the roster. The veteran forward was supposed to play at the recent Spengler Cup in preparation, but it was canceled due to COVID concerns. Interestingly, that means that Ryan could potentially be on the radar for NHL teams looking to add a little bit of depth down the stretch.
- Jack LaFontaine has been assigned to the Carolina Hurricanes taxi squad and spoke to Sara Civian of The Athletic about what he calls a “golden” opportunity to start his NHL career. Civian reports that it is likely that LaFontaine gets at least one game with the Hurricanes this season. The young goaltender left his college career behind to sign with Carolina and will be a restricted free agent this summer whether he plays in the NHL or not.
Coyotes Cancel Practice, Add Six To COVID Protocol
Another coronavirus outbreak is starting in the NHL, this time affecting the Arizona Coyotes. The team canceled practice earlier today after receiving test results and this afternoon announced that Scott Wedgewood, Jakob Chychrun, Cam Dineen, Anton Stralman, head coach Andre Tourigny, and goaltending coach Corey Schwab have all been placed in the COVID protocol.
The Coyotes are scheduled to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, before a home-and-home series against the Colorado Avalanche on the weekend. The team already had Kyle Capobianco and assistant coach Mario Duhamel in the protocol, placed there a few days ago.
While Chychrun was already out with an injury, losing the other players–especially Wedgewood–is certainly a challenge for the Coyotes. The team has so many injuries and absences even before these players were ruled out, that icing a competitive lineup will be even tougher.
Of course, the Coyotes were having trouble icing a roster like that anyway as they go through a scorched earth rebuild. The team has won just seven times in 33 games and sit last in the entire NHL.
Gabriel Landeskog Enters COVID Protocol
The Colorado Avalanche will be without their captain tonight, as Gabriel Landeskog has tested positive for coronavirus and entered the league’s COVID protocols. Landeskog’s test was confirmed today, according to head coach Jared Bednar, meaning he’ll miss at least five days. The forward is asymptomatic at this point.
Colorado takes on the Seattle Kraken this evening after their thrilling comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. The Avalanche are now 21-8-2 on the season despite starting the year 4-5-1. In fact, they are showing just why many considered them a Stanley Cup contender before the season began, routinely running up big goal numbers against every opponent. The Avalanche have scored at least four goals in 10 of their last 12 games, including 20 in their last four.
Without Landeskog, that becomes a little harder to maintain. The 29-year-old forward has been outstanding this season, scoring 14 goals and 35 points through 26 appearances. It wouldn’t be the first time he has scored at a point-per-game pace, but it’s easily the best offensive pace of his career to this point, one that already spans more than 700 games. For now, that number won’t grow any as he watches his teammates from a hotel room, isolating as he waits to test out of the protocol.
Peter Baugh of The Athletic notes that Jack Johnson and Valeri Nichushkin were both in regular sweaters at morning skate. Landeskog is currently the only Colorado player in the protocol.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/10/22
Despite many more additions to the COVID protocol, the NHL actually does have three games on the schedule for this evening. With a full slate of games coming on Tuesday as well, teams around the league will be preparing their rosters for action. As they do, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling right here.
Atlantic Division
- The Montreal Canadiens have returned Jean-Sebastien Dea and Michael McNiven to the Laval Rocket, as they start to get some players back from the COVID protocol. The Canadiens haven’t played since January 1 and won’t be involved in a game until Wednesday, when they finally get their nightmare season back underway.
- The Ottawa Senators have sent Filip Gustavsson back to the Belleville Senators, suggesting that Anton Forsberg is ready to return. The interesting part is that Matt Murray is staying up for the time being, with the younger Gustavsson returning to play in the minor leagues.
Metropolitan Division
- The Pittsburgh Penguins will need another goaltender, as Casey DeSmith has been placed in the COVID protocol and is unavailable. DeSmith hasn’t been good this season anyway, meaning it shouldn’t be much of an issue for the Penguins. Later in the day, the team recalled Anthony Angello and Radim Zohorna to the taxi squad, while reassigning Drew O’Connor to the AHL after his bout with COVID.
- Goalie Tyler Wall is now up with the New York Rangers taxi squad. Serving as the third man while Igor Shesterkin is in COVID protocol, Wall has a .900 save percentage in eight ECHL games this season.
Central Division
- Riley Damiani and Adam Scheel have been returned to the AHL by the Dallas Stars, after the former failed to get into his second NHL game yesterday. Damiani took warmup with the team but then sat out and will have to wait for his next opportunity with the club.
Pacific Division
- The Anaheim Ducks have made several moves, sending Lukas Dostal, Olle Eriksson Ek, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Greg Pateryn, Jacob Perreault, Buddy Robinson, and Brayden Tracey back to the AHL for the time being. Dostal made his NHL debut yesterday and stopped 33 of 36 shots for the win, but will likely be moved up and down whenever there’s an off day for the Ducks. Several of these players will likely be recalled again tomorrow, either to the main roster or taxi squad.
- The Los Angeles Kings have made several transactions, including recalling Alex Turcotte, Samuel Fagemo, activating Alex Iafallo from the COVID list, and moving Martin Frk to it.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Several Jets Placed In COVID Protocol
Jan 11: Nathan Beaulieu, Ville Heinola, Logan Stanley, and Kristian Reichel have all been added to the protocol today. The Jets will be severely shorthanded for Thursday’s game, should it go on as scheduled.
Jan 10: The last time the Winnipeg Jets were on the ice, they were run out of the building by the Colorado Avalanche in a 7-1 massacre. Connor Hellebuyck needed to make 35 saves to even keep it that close, while Andrew Copp, Mark Scheifele, and Nikolaj Ehlers all logged more than 20 minutes for the Jets injury-riddled lineup. Now, the latter of those three will be unavailable for the team moving forward as Ehlers has entered the COVID protocol.
He joins Jansen Harkins, Dylan DeMelo, and Arvid Holm in the protocol for the Jets, who are scheduled to return to action this Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. If Ehlers has tested positive, he’ll miss at least that game as he isolates away from his teammates.
Losing one of their top-line players at a point like this is obviously a big blow for the Jets, who were already using several inexperienced options like Cole Perfetti and Kristian Reichel. With Blake Wheeler and Paul Stastny both out, a forward group that was once considered among the deepest in the league now has more than a few band-aids.
The Jets meanwhile are falling further and further behind in the Central Division, now sitting at 16-12-5 on the year and seven points behind the Minnesota Wild. They’ve gone 3-2 since Dave Lowry took over the coaching responsibilities following Paul Maurice’s resignation.
Tage Thompson Placed In COVID Protocol; Jack Quinn Recalled
The Buffalo Sabres could have another debut on the horizon, as Jack Quinn has been recalled to the taxi squad and was on the ice at practice today. His appearance could be explained by the absence of Tage Thompson, who was moved to the COVID protocol. Quinn skated on a line with Dylan Cozens and Vinnie Hinostroza according to John Vogl of The Athletic, suggesting he could play tomorrow against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Quinn, 20, was the eighth overall pick in 2020 and has so far spent his professional career entirely in the minor leagues. The AHL has posed no issue, however, as the talented youngster has 26 points in 20 games this season for the Rochester Americans and looks poised to make an impact at the higher level.
If he does replace Thompson in the lineup tomorrow and make his debut, he’ll have some big shoes to fill. The 24-year-old Thompson has found his game this season with 12 goals and 23 points in 34 games, good enough to lead the Sabres in both categories. Despite standing 6’7″, the hulking winger actually plays more of a skill game and is on pace to more than double his previous career totals.
Unfortunately, he’s not the only Sabre in the protocol at the moment. Thompson joins Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, and Kyle Okposo on the sideline for tomorrow’s game.