Taxi Squad Shuffle: 12/27/21
The taxi squad is back! As of yesterday and through the All-Star break, teams are once allowed to carry a few extra players with them as they try to navigate a tricky schedule. There are several restrictions in place to stop teams from using it as a cap haven, but there will still likely be daily transactions to and from the extra designation. As those come in, we’ll keep track of them right here.
Atlantic Division
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Andrej Sustr and Darren Raddysh to the taxi squad, where they will be available at a moment’s notice. Sustr especially has nothing to prove in the minor leagues, given he has more than 330 NHL games under his belt to this point. Later in the day, they recalled goaltenders Maxime Lagace and Hugo Alnefelt as well as defenseman Sean Day from AHL Syracuse to fill in for their players in COVID protocol including their goalie tandem.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Joseph Woll, Filip Kral, Carl Dahlstrom, Kyle Clifford, and Alex Biega to their taxi squad, filling it up with some experience as they try to get their own COVID situation under control. Toronto has basically the entire organization–NHL and AHL–in the protocol at the moment, though a few names are expected to exit it today.
- The Detroit Red Wings have assigned Riley Barber, Dan Renouf, Luke Witkowski, and Victor Brattstrom to the taxi squad. The team received good news today when several players and coaches exited the COVID protocol, meaning these taxi squad types may not be needed right away.
Metropolitan Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Joshua Dunne and Tyler Sikura to the taxi squad. The pair of minor league forwards have combined for 19 points at the AHL level this season but add some size and experience to the traveling party. The Blue Jackets don’t play until Thursday after seeing another game postponed.
- The New Jersey Devils have assigned Marian Studenic to the taxi squad, where he can help fill in during the current COVID situation. Studenic has played in nine games this season for New Jersey but is still looking for his first point.
Central Division
- Ville Heinola has been recalled to the taxi squad for the Winnipeg Jets, showing again how he is stuck just between being too good for the AHL and not good enough for the NHL. The 20-year-old defenseman has 14 points in 20 games for the Manitoba Moose but has yet to get into an NHL game this season.
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Hunter Miska to the taxi squad, giving them another goaltender to use at a moment’s notice. The 26-year-old Miska has split this season between the ECHL and AHL, suiting up just a handful of times. Cal Burke, who only recently signed an NHL contract, has also been added to the taxi squad, along with Mikhail Maltsev and Trent Miner.
- The Arizona Coyotes have added Michael Carcone, Cam Crotty, Bokondji Imama, Vladislav Kolyachonok, Josef Korenar, and Blake Speers to their taxi squad. Jan Jenik has also been recalled but he’ll join the active roster.
Pacific Division
- The Anaheim Ducks have announced their initial taxi squad, assigning Lukas Dostal, Jacob Larsson, Vinni Lettieri, Greg Pateryn, and Buddy Robinson to it for the time being. The four skaters all have experience at the NHL level, while Dostal is the most realistic depth goaltending option in the organization.
- Jacob Moverare and Martin Frk are the taxi squad for the Los Angeles Kings, at least to start. The 23-year-old Moverare has been recalled before, but is still waiting for his first taste of NHL game action. Frk, a veteran who has spent most of his career in the minor leagues, is off to another outstanding start in the AHL, scoring 13 goals and 26 points in 21 games with Ontario.
This page will be updated throughout the day
NHL Announces More Postponements
The NHL has officially announced the temporary formation of taxi squads and three additional postponements. The following games will be rescheduled for later in the season:
- Columbus Blue Jackets at Chicago Blackhawks, December 28
- Pittsburgh Penguins at Toronto Maple Leafs, December 29
- Boston Bruins at Ottawa Senators, December 29
The other games scheduled for Tuesday are set to play as originally planned, though there will be continued testing that could change that. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff writes that more players are expected to be placed in the COVID protocol tomorrow when test results have been confirmed.
In addition to the postponements, the league has officially revealed the new taxi squad rules. As previously reported, they will be in place from today through each team’s final game prior to the All-Star Break. It will have a maximum of six players at any time, will be subject to normal waiver requirements and no player may spend more than 20 cumulative days on the taxi squad.
There have also been temporary modifications to the CBA, allowing some salary cap relief for clubs dealing with COVID absences. Roster Emergency Exception recalls are now allowed to be players with a cap hit of up to $1MM (previously it had been limited at $850K). Teams can now recall a goaltender under emergency conditions–i.e. if they have fewer than two goaltenders on the active roster–without playing a game short. That means we won’t continue to see EBUGs pop up around the league (or at least not as often).
The full changes can be found here.
Tuukka Rask Weeks Away From Potential Return
When the Boston Bruins hit the ice today for the first practice after the holiday break, there was a familiar face leading the group. Tuukka Rask was the first player on the ice according to Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic, despite the veteran goaltender still not having a contract with the team.
Asked after practice, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters that Rask is still a couple of weeks away from being ready to return to action. Tracey Myers of NHL.com writes that January 18 could be that return, though there are still medical–and contractual–hurdles to overcome before then.
Rask underwent hip surgery in the summer to repair a torn labrum but has been back on the ice for weeks now, working out at the Bruins facility. While he technically is an unrestricted free agent and could sign with anyone, the goaltender has been very clear about his intentions to finish his career in Boston.
Now 34, Rask would certainly add a lot of experience to the goaltending room for the Bruins, though it’s unclear what role he would be brought back for. Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have both been very good lately, raising their save percentages to .917 and .922 respectively for the season.
Importantly, Swayman is still waiver-exempt and could be sent to the minor leagues, but does not appear eligible for the newly recreated taxi squad given his role on the team through the first part of the season. Rask would need to pass through waivers in order to go to the taxi squad, so that’s not an option for him either.
The answer to those questions doesn’t have to be given for a little while longer, but it appears as though Rask will in fact officially return to the Bruins at some point in the next few weeks.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: New Jersey Devils
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season passes the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the New Jersey Devils.
What are the Devils thankful for?
The World Junior Championship.
Look, it’s not very pretty watching Devils games right now. The team has lost six in a row, nine of their last ten, and now own the worst goal differential in the Metropolitan Division. In a season where they were supposed to be at least competitive, things have gone downhill, fast.
So around the holidays, what better way to soothe that ache than watching some of the Devils’ top prospects do battle on the international stage. Fans got an up-close look at Alexander Holtz when he played six NHL games earlier this season, but he’s now back with Team Sweden at his third WJC tournament. Shakir Mukhamadullin is one of the leaders of the Russian team and looks like he’ll be in the NHL in no time. Perhaps the most exciting is Luke Hughes, that fourth-overall pick and key building block who is suiting up for the U.S.
Of all the prospects in the Devils system, those three are arguably the most important. You can watch them all battle when the event kicks off tomorrow.
Who are the Devils thankful for?
If there’s one player that has been anything but disappointing this season it’s Mercer, who only turned 20 in October but is already handling NHL minutes with aplomb. Another one of those first-round picks, Mercer has 16 points in 30 games, strong possession numbers, and is averaging more than 16 minutes a night. Sure, he’s been completely outclassed in the faceoff dot and still has plenty of work to do to polish his overall game, but there have been so many brilliant moments that his ceiling looks higher than expected and his absolute floor has risen to that of an NHL middle-six player.
It’s hard to see why there would ever be a time moving forward that the Devils don’t pencil Mercer into the lineup and that’s a huge step forward for an organization that needed to build out support for Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. It looks like there will be more pain this season, but things are trending in the right direction, at least in terms of development.
What would the Devils be even more thankful for?
A healthy Hughes.
It was supposed to go so differently. This was the year that Hughes was supposed to take a big step forward and establish himself as a true top-line player in the league. He looked stronger in the offseason and things got off to a great start. In his first game, he scored twice, including a brilliant overtime winner that showed just how much confidence he had entered the season with. He had an assist in the first period of his next game before a hit from Seattle’s Jeremy Lauzon resulted in a dislocated shoulder for Hughes and a recovery period of six weeks.
While he avoided surgery, it immediately stole all of that offseason momentum for the young forward and forced him to–as Ray Ferraro of ESPN often says–jump on a moving train when he was ready to return. He’s done fine since rejoining the club, registering three goals and five points in 11 games, but is still missing some of that swagger from the start of the year. If Hughes can stay healthy for the rest of the season and get that back, perhaps the team can do a little more damage in the second half.
What should be on the Devils’ Holiday Wish List?
A Jesper Bratt extension.
The Devils don’t need to sell at the deadline this year. They likely will, if they can find a taker and add a few draft picks, but they’re past the hoarding section of the rebuild. Now they need to lock in these good young players and find a way to put together a competitive roster.
If Mercer’s development is the best thing from the team this season, Bratt’s play isn’t far behind. The 23-year-old forward has been the most reliable player on the roster from the start and is scoring at a career-best pace. His 24 points in 29 games lead the club and almost all of that damage has been done at even strength. If the Devils’ powerplay could improve–it’s currently clicking at just 12.9%–there’s a real chance Bratt could put up a 60 or even 70-point season at this rate.
While that’s a wonderful threshold to break for the young forward, it would also come with a cost for the Devils. Bratt will be a restricted free agent again this offseason and this time he’s eligible for arbitration. That kind of production would put him in the driver’s seat in terms of arbitration leverage, meaning a big ask would be on the table. An extension now at a more reasonable price might be prudent, if GM Tom Fitzgerald can get his representatives to the table.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Jani Hakanpaa Placed In COVID Protocol
The small number of teams not currently affected by COVID-related absences has shrunk by one, as the Dallas Stars placed Jani Hakanpaa in the protocol today according to Saad Yousuf of The Athletic.
Hakanpaa, 29, has filled a depth role for the Stars this season, averaging just over 15 minutes a night in 28 appearances. The hulking defenseman–who stands 6’6″–is one of the most physical players in the league, routinely separating an opponent from the puck by driving them to the ice. In those limited minutes he has 70 hits, after racking up 215 in last year’s shortened season split between Anaheim and Carolina.
One of the most imposing players in the league, losing Hakanpaa for the next ten days–assuming he tested positive, which was not confirmed by the team–would leave an interesting decision for the Stars management and coaching staff. Top prospect Thomas Harley could be recalled to enter the lineup, but he’s both not the same style of player nor the same handedness as Hakanpaa. Someone like the 6’4″ Alex Petrovic might be a more apt replacement, though he hasn’t played in an NHL game since 2018-19.
Regardless, given the depth role he plays, there shouldn’t be much issue for the Stars if it is limited to just Hakanpaa. The team is set to return to action on Monday against the Nashville Predators.
Poll: Who Will Win The 2022 World Junior Championship?
In three days, the best junior-aged hockey players in the world will kick off one of the most exciting international tournaments around. Teams from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Germany, Czechia, Austria, Slovakia, and Switzerland will do battle at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Red Deer and Edmonton, Alberta.
Today all ten teams were supposed to play their lone pre-tournament tune-up games, but the match between Czechia and Switzerland was canceled due to COVID protocols. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that one player from that game (it is unclear from which team) has tested positive for coronavirus and will be immediately isolated. The other games are still scheduled to proceed.
The U.S. lost their pre-tournament match against Finland today after Red Savage was given a five-minute major and match penalty in the third period. Savage will likely have to serve a suspension when the tournament begins, though that has not yet been determined. They also lost Ty Smilanic to injury, as Corey Pronman of The Athletic relays he will likely to miss some games.
Both those teams would be considered contenders for the gold, as they’re littered with NHL prospects at every position.
For the Americans, it’s Jake Sanderson and Matty Beniers‘ team. The former was the fifth-overall pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2020 and will log huge minutes in all situations for Team USA. Sanderson was named captain this week and has the skating ability to dominate a tournament like this. Beniers meanwhile was the second-overall pick in 2021 by the Seattle Kraken and is the kind of lynchpin center that you can build an entire forward group around. Both were part of the team that won gold at last year’s tournament.
The Finns meanwhile took home the bronze in last year’s event and several of those names are back for revenge. Topi Niemela, a Toronto Maple Leafs third-round pick was named the tournament’s best defenseman in 2021 and is back for more. Another Maple Leafs pick is captaining the group; Roni Hirvonen showed exactly why he’s the leader as he ended today’s match in overtime with a blistering wrist shot. But don’t forget about draft-eligible Brad Lambert, who could go as high as second overall in 2022 if he has a strong stretch run.
As always, Canada is a medal favorite once again after winning silver a year ago. The Canadians are so loaded this time around that Owen Power, the first-overall pick in 2021, isn’t even one of the captains. The “C” will be on Kaiden Guhle‘s chest instead, as he returns to lead this group after last year’s defeat. With Power, this group could have three first-overall picks as Shane Wright (projected first for 2022) and Connor Bedard (2023) are both on the team.
Bedard isn’t the only contender for that spot though, and Russia also heads to Red Deer with their 2023-eligible superstar. Matvei Michkov has been breaking junior records set by Alex Ovechkin and Nikita Kucherov as he prepares for his spotlight moment in Alberta. The MVP at the U18 tournament last year, Michkov put up 12 goals and 16 points in just seven games. Russia has had trouble on defense internationally for the past few years, but New Jersey Devils prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin will try to change that. He’s already in his third year as a regular in the KHL, so taking advantage of some players his own age shouldn’t be an issue.
And then there’s Sweden, who have two forwards on the roster who played in the NHL this season (Canada has three). William Eklund and Alexander Holtz are both still looking for their first NHL goals, but they won’t have to wait long to score in this tournament considering their history. Holtz has already played in this event twice before but he’s looking for his first gold.
So which team will actually take home the top prize? The two groups can be found here. Things kick off on December 26 when Finland takes on Germany.
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Frederik Andersen, Jesper Fast Added To COVID Protocol
Dec 23: The Hurricanes have also added Jesper Fast to the protocol as their testing continues to reveal more cases. The Hurricanes are going to be severely shorthanded should they return to the ice as scheduled.
Dec 22: Despite the NHL now on their holiday break, COVID concerns around the league should not be forgotten. Players that enter the protocol in the coming days will likely be unavailable when their teams return to action, given the usual ten-day isolation period. For the Carolina Hurricanes, that means their starting goaltender might be missing when things start up again next week. Frederik Andersen has been placed in the COVID protocol.
Andersen, 32, has been a true Vezina candidate this season for the Hurricanes, posting a .930 save percentage in 21 games. His 1.93 goals-against average is the best in the league, and his numbers across the board are the best of his career. Given the fact that Antti Raanta hasn’t been totally healthy, Andersen’s ability to carry the load for Carolina has been extremely important.
The Hurricanes are set to resume action on December 27, but now have nine players in the protocol. Andersen joins Stefan Noesen, Andrei Svechnikov, Steven Lorentz, Jordan Staal, Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho, Brendan Smith, and Ian Cole on the outside looking in, though some of those players will be eligible to return before the team’s next game.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Nashville Predators
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season passes the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Nashville Predators.
What are the Predators thankful for?
A return to form for two veteran forwards.
The Nashville Predators have just four forwards that carry higher cap hits than Colton Sissons‘ $2.86MM. If any of those four struggle, the offensive attack can become predictable and inconsistent. Filip Forsberg has been as reliable as any and Mikael Granlund has developed a never-stop work ethic, but the two at the very top of the salary chart had been brutal in recent years.
Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen combined for just 13 goals last season. Duchene has already matched that total in 26 contests this time around. Both players are playing at an entirely new level and now have 49 points combined through the first part of the season. Without them, the team was still going to be a middle-of-the-pack group on the playoff bubble. With them playing like this, Nashville is sitting in second place in the Central Division. Duchene has missed a couple of games with an upper-body injury and Johansen is in the COVID protocol, so their continued success is still something to monitor.
Who are the Predators thankful for?
John Hynes.
It didn’t look like this at first, but Hynes has secured buy-in from his group and has the Predators playing better than most expected. The team is on a seven-game winning streak at the moment and would never be mistaken for a club that is easy to play against (Tanner Jeannot and Mark Borowiecki will see to that).
In fact, Hynes is likely in the mix for the Jack Adams award if this continues. His overall record in Nashville is now 66-44-4, but that winning percentage is only going up as he navigates the 2021-22 campaign.
What would the Predators be even more thankful for?
A real breakout from one of the high picks.
Philip Tomasino is only 20 years old, so it’s hard to expect more than he’s giving the team right now. But his nine points in 26 games isn’t exactly what fans were hoping for from the player that dominated the AHL as a teenager last season. The same could be said about Cody Glass, a sixth-overall pick brought in during the offseason. Glass has spent nearly the entire year in the minor leagues and while he’s played well, that’s not helping the Predators right now.
The one that could realistically breakout this season? Eeli Tolvanen, who still hasn’t been able to produce big offensive numbers despite his peripheral numbers suggesting he will eventually. Tolvanen has been eating up easier matchups and offensive deployment to rack up shots but has just five goals on the year. That 6.5 shooting percentage isn’t going to last forever though, especially not with a player that is known for his ability to beat goaltenders from distance.
There’s no guarantee that he will break out, but Tolvanen certainly has the talent and is creating enough opportunities that it could come at any time. If they get some improved secondary scoring from their 22-year-old Finn–while Duchene and Johansen continue to succeed–watch out.
What should be on the Predators’ Holiday Wish List?
An upgrade on the third pair.
The top two pairs in Nashville have been set for almost the entire season. Roman Josi skates beside Dante Fabbro, while Alexandre Carrier has turned into a reliable partner for Mattias Ekholm. But beyond that, it’s been a little shakier. Nashville has leaned heavily on their top-four for years, but the idea of Borowiecki, Matt Benning, or Philippe Myers moving up the lineup due to injury is certainly not one that inspires visions of a Stanley Cup.
Acquiring a defenseman who was in the top-four somewhere else and has proven he can do that on a regular basis would set the Predators up for a long postseason run. It doesn’t need to be a star or a top-pairing guy, but an upgrade on Benning would certainly be a positive addition.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Andrew Copp, Kristian Vesalainen Enter COVID Protocol
The Winnipeg Jets are supposed to resume their season on December 27 against the Minnesota Wild, but if they do, it will likely be without the services of a pair of forwards. Andrew Copp and Kristian Vesalainen have been placed in the COVID protocol. A support staff member has also been added.
The Jets were one of the few teams in the league that had no one else in the protocol, though they had dealt with absences from Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler early on. Hopefully, it will stop with these two and the team can get back to full strength before long.
Losing Copp especially will be painful given his huge role on the team. The 27-year-old forward is averaging more than 20 minutes a night for the Jets, including lining up at the center ice position. With 20 points in 30 games he’s on pace to set a career-high in several categories and his possession statistics are the best they’ve ever been.
In fact, Copp appears poised to land quite the free agent contract should the Jets allow him to hit the open market after the season. A middle-six forward that can basically play any role or position you ask of him, he’ll be highly sought after by contenders across the league. His one-year, $3.64MM contract could certainly be dwarfed if his current play continues the whole season. A stint on the COVID list certainly won’t help that case, but at least there is a chance he misses only a handful of games given the current break.
New York Rangers Sign Dylan Garand
Not a bad week for Dylan Garand. The young goaltender was named to the Canadian World Junior Championship team–where he could potentially be the starter for the upcoming tournament–and has now inked his first NHL contract. The New York Rangers have signed the goaltender to a three-year, entry-level contract. He will return to the Kamloops Blazers when the World Juniors concludes.
Garand, 19, is expected to start tonight’s pre-tournament tune-up against Russia and has the inside track to the crease for Canada. He was at the tournament last year as well but ended up playing in just one game as Devon Levi stole the show. If he does win out it would be an impressive feat, given his competition in 15th-overall pick Sebastian Cossa and London Knights star Brett Brochu. Garand has played the best out of the three this season, posting an eye-popping .932 save percentage in 19 games for the Blazers. He’s 15-4 with a 1.85 goals-against average in those games as he continues to impress now more than a year after slipping to the fourth round.
Selected 103rd overall, Garand was the eighth goaltender off the board in 2020 but has done nothing but stop the puck and win games since. In 18 games last season with the Blazers he posted a .921 and went 15-3, while also getting his first taste of professional hockey with the Hartford Wolf Pack. That’s likely who he’ll join after his WHL season comes to an end, and where he’ll play in 2022-23.