Vegas Golden Knights Sign Maxim Marushev
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed one of the very last few picks of the 2020 draft, inking Maxim Marushev to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal begins in the 2021-22 season, meaning he won’t be eligible for any action with the NHL club this year.
Already 22, Marushev went undrafted several times before the Golden Knights finally used the 215th overall pick on him in October. After recording 40 points in 35 VHL games last season and making his KHL debut, his numbers dropped considerably for the minor league Bars Kazan team in 2020-21, putting up just 21 points in 37 games. Regardless of the offensive decline, the Golden Knights still believe in him enough to hand over an entry-level deal and bring him into the organization.
It’s not clear what the plans are for the young Russian yet, or whether he’ll come over to join the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL down the stretch. For now, he’s just a seventh-round flier that the Vegas development staff will eagerly get their hands on at some point down the road.
Arizona Coyotes Sign Ty Emberson
The Arizona Coyotes have added another college prospect, signing Ty Emberson to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will kick in immediately, meaning Emberson is burning the first year for the 2020-21 season but is eligible for recall to the Coyotes right away. For now, he’ll report to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. GM Bill Armstrong released a short statement on his newest player:
We are very pleased to sign Ty to an entry-level contract. Ty is a good two-way defenseman who can play in all situations. He is another good prospect for us, and we look forward to monitoring his development.
Emberson, 20, finished his junior season at the University of Wisconsin when the Badgers were knocked out of the NCAA tournament and like several of his teammates has decided to turn pro. Selected 73rd overall in 2018, the young defenseman had 13 points in 31 games this season, his best offensive performance in college. That was actually the most points by a Wisconsin defenseman as their forwards carried most of the offensive load, but production at that end of the rink isn’t really Emberson’s forte anyway.
Instead, he’s lauded for his mobility and physicality, ending rushes by aggressively closing on attackers. Add that kind of strong defensive presence and ability to skate the puck out of trouble to the leadership qualities that made Emberson the captain of the Badgers this season and you have a legitimate NHL prospect, even if his ceiling is somewhat limited. Though he is reporting to the Roadrunners, it shouldn’t be that long before Emberson is challenging for playing time with the Coyotes in a depth role.
Brendan Gallagher Out Six Weeks
The Montreal Canadiens will be without one of their most important players for the rest of the regular season, as Brendan Gallagher has been placed on long-term injured reserve with a fractured thumb. The Canadiens expect him to miss at least six weeks, which means he won’t be back before the postseason.
Importantly, that means Gallagher’s entire $3.75MM cap hit can essentially be used as room for another deadline upgrade, given the playoffs do not have any cap restraints. Montreal was pressed quite close up against the $81.5MM ceiling after acquiring Eric Staal recently, but now have a little extra wiggle room to play with should GM Marc Bergevin wish to make another addition.
Still, he’d obviously rather have Gallagher in the lineup as the Canadiens try to fight for seeding down the stretch. The 28-year-old forward is the true heart and soul of the team’s forward group and is second on the team in goals this season with 14. His 23 points in 35 games also put him fourth, meaning a huge part of the team’s offensive attack is now missing.
Despite Bergevin’s claims that it would be a quiet deadline for Montreal, there is reason to believe they could add another piece. The team now sits eight points clear of the Vancouver Canucks in the North Division playoff race (one which seems all but concluded) and still has four games at hand on each of the three teams ahead of them. Should the team go on a strong run down the stretch they could easily secure higher seeding or perhaps even home-ice advantage (such as it is) in the first round.
Jason Cotton, Kyle Rau Placed On Waivers
April 7: Both players have cleared waivers. Rau can now be assigned to the taxi squad, while Cotton will see his contract terminated.
April 6: Another day, another two players on waivers. The Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild have placed Jason Cotton and Kyle Rau on waivers respectively, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Cotton, who is waiver-exempt and playing in the minor leagues, is likely on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.
Cotton, 26, signed a one-year contract with the Hurricanes last spring after his college career came to an end, but has seen mostly the ECHL this season. The 6’3″ winger has six points in 17 games for the Fort Wayne Komets and is unlikely to ever see time with the Hurricanes. A termination would make him an unrestricted free agent and allow him to pursue other opportunities.
Rau meanwhile has been a part-time NHL player for the Wild this season, following several excellent minor league campaigns. The 28-year-old has played in ten games for Minnesota, meaning his waiver clock needed to be reset if they wanted to move him back to the taxi squad or minor leagues. At this point, Rau almost certainly won’t be claimed given he has scored just six points in 52 NHL games.
Chicago Blackhawks Purchase Rockford IceHogs
If you’re a fan of the Rockford IceHogs, today was a good day. The Chicago Blackhawks have officially announced the purchase of the minor league affiliate, agreeing to keep the IceHogs in Rockford until at least 2036. The two clubs had already been affiliated since 2007, but the IceHogs had previously operated as an independent and were owned by the city of Rockford.
While the purchase price comes in at $11.8MM, the deal will also include further investment in the BMO Harris Bank Center. The Blackhawks become the 21st NHL team to own their AHL affiliate, a situation that only helps the development and stability of minor league players.
Rockford is having a terrible season, winning just six of their first 19 games in the remade Central Division. But with this kind of investment, the Blackhawks will have even further incentive to make the IceHogs not only a development stop but a dominant minor league franchise.
Many of the players that have helped Chicago become Stanley Cup champions in the past have spent time in the AHL with Rockford. Names like Corey Crawford, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brandon Saad, and Andrew Shaw all spent some of their formative playing years with the IceHogs, developing the skills that would lead them to success in the NHL.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/07/21
There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:
West Division
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forwards Michael Chaput and Lane Pederson from the taxi squad. Pederson has only played in two games with the ‘Yotes this season but has recorded a point, while Chaput is scoreless through ten games.
North Division
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Alex Formenton from the taxi squad, an expected move with the team back in action later today. The 21-year-old Formenton has two points in five games for the Senators this season.
- The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Kristian Vesalainen from the AHL to the taxi squad. Vesalainen has actually played eight games for the Jets this season, but is still looking for his first NHL goal.
Central Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have moved Liam Foudy and Alexandre Texier to the taxi squad for their off day, as they prepare to take on the Lightning in a rematch tomorrow night. The Blue Jackets downed their divisional rival last night with both youngsters in the lineup. Columbus continues to move players off the roster between games in order to bank cap space and save some salary.
- The Dallas Stars have re-assigned Justin Dowling to the taxi squad after he played in yesterday’s game against the Blackhawks. Dowling, 30, has played 16 of his 65 career NHL games this season.
- As usual, the Detroit Red Wings have made several moves, assigning Michael Rasmussen, Givani Smith and Evgeny Svechnkiov to the taxi squad. Mathias Brome, Dennis Cholowski and Gustav Lindstrom have been moved back to the AHL to make room.
East Division
- The New York Islanders have returned Grant Hutton to the AHL after using him for taxi squad purposes this week. The 25-year-old defenseman has never played in an NHL game and has just two points in 14 contests for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season.
- The Buffalo Sabres have sent C.J. Smith and Brandon Davidson to the Rochester Americans in time for the Amerks game this evening. Smith, 26, has seven points in six AHL games this season.
This page will be updated throughout the day
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/06/21
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. Here is the list for today:
Boston – Jaroslav Halak
Los Angeles – Matt Roy
Montreal – Joel Armia
Ottawa – Jacob Bernard-Docker, Shane Pinto
Vancouver – Travis Boyd, Jalen Chatfield, Thatcher Demko, Alexander Edler, Adam Gaudette, Travis Hamonic, Jayce Hawryluk, Nils Hoglander, Braden Holtby, Bo Horvat, Quinn Hughes, Zack MacEwen, Marc Michaelis, Tyler Motte, Tyler Myers, Antoine Roussel, Brandon Sutter, Jake Virtanen*
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: None
One more name for the Canucks as their list continues to grow and now includes 18 of the team’s 22 active roster players. The team also has two taxi squad players and three coaches affected by the protocol, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Today in his 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman indicated that April 16 is now the earliest the Canucks could return to play.
*denotes new addition
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/06/21
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 Minnesota Wild have returned Dereck Baribeau to the AHL, leaving Andrew Hammond as the taxi squad goaltender for the team. Baribeau is still waiting to make his NHL debut but does have a .920 save percentage in five AHL games this season. Nico Sturm and Luke Johnson were also sent back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- The Los Angeles Kings have returned Lias Andersson, Sean Durzi, and Matt Luff to the AHL, recalling Mark Alt to the taxi squad in the process. The Ontario Reign will play later this evening, meaning all three can get some added game action. Drake Rymsha was also recalled to the Kings with Austin Strand and Kale Clague being dropped to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Simon Benoit and Benoit-Olivier Groulx from the AHL to the taxi squad, giving the youngsters a taste of the NHL life for the time being. The team notably moved Trevor Zegras back to the AHL yesterday to begin his transition to center, leaving them with just 20 players on the roster and three skaters on the taxi squad before today’s moves. Sam Carrick and David Backes were later recalled to the active roster, per CapFriendly.
- The Arizona Coyotes sent Jordan Gross back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The defenseman has three assists in six games so far this season.
- The Colorado Avalanche returned Kyle Burroughs and Liam O’Brien to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Burroughs made his NHL debut on Monday while O’Brien has played in three games since being converted to an NHL contract last month.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled Christian Jaros and Noah Gregor from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Jaros is expected to make his San Jose debut with Marc-Edouard Vlasic injured while Gregor has three goals in 15 games.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have returned Nicolas Hague and Cody Glass to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Both players were recalled under roster emergency cap-exempt recalls on Monday.
North Division
- The Ottawa Senators have made several moves, including recalling Marcus Hogberg and Jack Kopacka to the taxi squad. Alex Formenton has been moved to the taxi squad from the active roster, and Filip Gustavsson is going all the way down to the AHL. With Hogberg back and healthy, it appears he will return to his role as one of the three goaltenders at the NHL level.
- The Montreal Canadiens loaned Paul Byron to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The move, which has been made frequently as of late, banks them a bit of cap space with the trade deadline looming. Brandon Baddock was sent back to the AHL in a corresponding move.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Alex Galchenyuk, Veini Vehvilainen, and Michael Hutchinson to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Those moves resulted in Ian Scott and Martin Marincin being sent from the taxi squad to the minors.
Central Division
- Vinnie Hinostroza has been added to the Chicago Blackhawks active roster after making the drive up from Florida following his trade. To make room, Lucas Wallmark has been moved to the taxi squad after clearing waivers earlier today.
- The Detroit Red Wings have made several transactions including recalling Mathias Brome, Dennis Cholowski, and Gustav Lindstrom to the taxi squad. Frans Nielsen, Michael Rasmussen, Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov, and Alex Biega have all been recalled from the taxi squad to the active roster ahead of tonight’s game against the Nashville Predators.
- Those Predators have recalled Rem Pitlick from the taxi squad after head coach John Hynes said that Viktor Arvidsson will not play tonight. Arvidsson continues to deal with his upper-body injury and is nearing a return, with “significant progress” made in his recovery.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have promoted Morgan Geekie from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The 22-year-old has two goals in 17 games this season.
- Following the placement of Riley Nash on IR, the Columbus Blue Jackets recalled Liam Foudy and Zac Dalpe from the taxi squad. Foudy has three assists in 16 games this season while Dalpe has been held off the scoresheet in his three contests.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled Luke Schenn from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Schenn, despite making many appearances on this list, has still managed to play in 23 games this season. Daniel Walcott was recalled in a corresponding move.
East Division
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Jack Ahcan and Callum Booth from the AHL, placing them on the taxi squad for the time being. The Bruins are dealing with an injury to Tuukka Rask and a positive coronavirus test for Jaroslav Halak, greatly depleting their NHL goaltending depth in the short term. Zach Senyshyn was also sent to the taxi squad while Jack Studnicka was sent to AHL Providence, per CapFriendly.
- The Buffalo Sabres brought up Jacob Bryson and Rasmus Asplund from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Asplund has three goals in nine games this season while Bryson has averaged over 19 minutes a night on the back end in 19 contests.
- The New York Islanders are back in action tonight which means that Oliver Wahlstrom and Kieffer Bellows are up from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Grant Hutton was recalled to the taxi squad as well.
- Kaapo Kakko is back on the roster for the New York Rangers after being recalled from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. He has frequently been shuffled down on off days to save some cap room. Vitali Kravtsov was also recalled.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have sent Tanner Laczynski to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The center has played in two games with the Flyers so far this season.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Radim Zohorna, Frederick Gaudreau, and Drew O’Connor from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. To keep the taxi squad at the minimum four players, Josh Currie was promoted there from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Calgary Flames Sign Ilya Solovyov
The Calgary Flames have signed prospect Ilya Solovyov to a three-year entry-level contract according to his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Solovyov recently finished his KHL season with Dinamo Minsk. Milstein did not clarify whether or not the contract starts this season or in 2021-22, or whether Solovyov will be joining the AHL down the stretch like many other recently-signed prospects. The Flames release, which came a few minutes later, also does not clarify, but PuckPedia reports that the deal will start in 2021-22 and carry an average annual value of $828K.
The 20-year-old defenseman was a seventh-round pick in 2020, his third year of draft eligibility. It took an impressive season with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL for the scouts to take notice, as previously the Belarusian defenseman had gone undrafted. In 53 games last year with Saginaw, he recorded 40 points while finishing ninth in the entire league with a +43 rating.
If you’re a Calgary fan looking for a late-round pick to dream on, the 6’3″ Solovyov may be the one to choose, after he stepped directly into the KHL and secured a regular spot on the Dinamo blueline. In 41 games he had just nine points but managed to average nearly 17 minutes a night as a 20-year-old rookie, not an easy task in the veteran-heavy KHL. In five playoff games, that ice time increased to more than 19 minutes a night, another strong indication of how far Solovyov’s game has come in the last few years.
There’s certainly work to be done, but a draft class that was bookended by Connor Zary (24th overall) and Solovyov (205th) already looks like a win for the Flames. If the young defenseman can even sniff the NHL, he’ll have already outplayed his draft position.
Buffalo Sabres Sign Linus Weissbach
The Buffalo Sabres may be busy talking to other teams ahead of the trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean the other work stops. The team has signed Linus Weissbach to a two-year entry-level contract following his senior season at the University of Wisconsin. The deal will begin in the 2021-22 season. Had the Sabres not signed him, Weissbach could have become an unrestricted free agent in August.
Now 22, the undersized Weissbach has come a long way from the seventh round of the 2017 draft, when he was picked 192nd overall by the Sabres. At that point, he was coming off a strong but not outstanding season with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL and looked like he was a long shot to have success in professional hockey. Now after four outstanding seasons at Wisconsin, including lining up alongside top Montreal Canadiens prospect Cole Caufield, Weissbach is a legitimate prospect for the Sabres and one to keep an eye on.
Still small, measuring in at a generous 5’8″, Weissbach has shown an unshakeable work ethic in his time at Wisconsin and has his sights set on success at the professional level. In his senior season he posted 41 points in 31 games, finishing behind only Caufield and Odeen Tufto (who recently signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning) in scoring across the nation. That kind of offensive production will have to be his calling card at the next level, but if he can continue to create chances for his linemates with strong playmaking abilities, his small stature may not hold him back for long.