Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/16/21
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, always one of the busiest taxi squad shufflers, have completed several transactions today. Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Tobias Bjornfot have both been added to the active roster, while Bobo Imama and Drake Rymsha have been added to the taxi squad from the AHL.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled Calen Addison, Louis Belpedio, and Gerald Mayhew from the taxi squad as they return to the ice for the first time in two weeks. Addison, a key part of last year’s Jason Zucker trade, is expected to make his NHL debut.
- After being recalled to the taxi squad just yesterday, the Anaheim Ducks have returned Chase De Leo to AHL San Diego, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 25-year-old is averaging a point per game so far this season with the Gulls. Defenseman Andy Welinski was also sent down by the Ducks to San Diego.
North Division
- The Montreal Canadiens have made a change to their taxi squad as they’ve recalled Cam Hillis from AHL Laval, sending down Hayden Verbeek, per the AHL’s transactions log. Both players have shuffled between the taxi squad and the minors in recent days to ensure compliance with the minimum roster size of the taxi squad.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have moved Mathias Brome to the taxi squad today, like every other day this month. Brome (and usually Givani Smith with him) has continued to move back and forth on a daily basis in order for the Red Wings to save some cash and cap space. Smith was later sent from the taxi squad to the minor leagues with Evgeny Svechnikov coming up from Grand Rapids to take his place.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Ben Harpur from the taxi squad, moving Michael McCarron and Eeli Tolvanen down in his place. The Predators no longer have a game tonight after it was postponed due to inclement weather, meaning they can save some money by moving a couple of two-way contracts off the books.
East Division
- The New Jersey Devils have assigned Jesper Boqvist to the AHL while recalling Colton White to their taxi squad. Boqvist, 22, has played in five games for the Devils this season but appears somewhat overmatched, registering just three shots on goal and no points during that time. Later in the day, the team also recalled Nick Merkley and Mikhail Maltsev from the taxi squad and added Evan Cormier and Jeremy Groleau to the taxi squad from AHL Binghamton.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Rasmus Asplund from the taxi squad, giving them another forward option for tonight. Meanwhile, Steven Fogarty and Brandon Davidson have been loaned back to the taxi squad with several other names coming off the COVID list today.
- The New York Rangers recalled Tim Gettinger and Brandon Crawley to their taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log. That paved the way for them to recall Igor Shesterkin, Kaapo Kakko, Libor Hajek, and Anthony Bitetto back to the active roster for tonight’s game.
This page will be further updated throughout the day.
Snapshots: Coyotes, Granlund, Stars-Predators
If you thought new ownership, new management, or a new season had created any stability in the Arizona Coyotes front office, think again. In an unbelievable piece by Katie Strang of The Athletic (both in quality and content), the Coyotes’ internal turmoil is detailed, which includes lawsuits, unpaid invoices, and breaches of contract, among many other eyebrow-raising stories.
Much of what Strang reports does not have a direct impact on the Coyotes’ on-ice product, but it does touch on the management style of new GM Bill Armstrong and the missteps that resulted in the drafting of Mitchell Miller (who the team then renounced the rights to). The whole piece is a must-read for any hockey fan.
UPDATE: The Coyotes have released a statement that does not directly dispute the Strang piece, but alleges The Athletic has “condoned a harassment campaign against Mr. Alex Meruelo, the Arizona Coyotes, the Meruelo Group and dozens of current employees and former employees.” The statement concludes by announcing the team will be exploring legal options in response to the piece. (Full statement via Greg Wyshynski of ESPN)
- In James Mirtle’s latest piece for The Athletic, he suggested that Mikael Granlund could be a fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs if their search for a top-six winger continues. Granlund is on a one-year deal with the Nashville Predators and carries a $3.75MM cap hit. Mirtle’s colleague Adam Vingan recently examined the trade value of several Predators players, comparing Granlund to the Gustav Nyquist and Mats Zuccarello moves of 2019. Both of those trades included second-round selections and a conditional third-round pick.
- Speaking of the Predators, Granlund and the rest of the team will have to wait another few days to get back into game action. Like yesterday, tonight’s game between the Predators and Dallas Stars has been postponed due to inclement weather. Nashville will now head to Columbus where they take on the Blue Jackets’ on Thursday evening.
Arizona Coyotes Fire Steve Sullivan
Feb 16: The wording on the Coyotes’ release was always curious, using the term “terminated” instead of “relieved of duties” like most NHL firings. Today, included in Katie Strang’s explosive article detailing the Coyotes front office turmoil, is a quote from Sullivan’s attorney Stacy Gabriel:
It’s our position that the Coyotes breached the contract – he has an employment agreement and they breached that agreement – and we intend to pursue remedies through the arbitration process,
Gabriel told Strang she will be filing a demand for arbitration with the commissioner’s office. Sullivan did not comment.
Feb 11: In surprising news, if only because of the timing, the Arizona Coyotes have terminated the contract of assistant general manager and executive vice president of hockey operations Steve Sullivan. In the release, the team indicates it will not be filling the vacant position this season.
Sullivan was hired well before the new regime took over, joining the organization first as a development coach in 2014 after his playing career came to an end. After serving as director of player development for a season, he was promoted to AGM in 2017 and named GM of the Tucson Roadrunners. Sullivan even served as interim GM of the Coyotes last summer when John Chayka left the position.
Often when a front office is handed over to a new GM, like in Arizona where Bill Armstrong took over in September, there will be turnover among the ranks. Assistants like Sullivan are often let go as the new manager brings in his own people, but it often happens in the offseason, not a month into a shortened schedule. That timing, along with the fact that the team does not have a replacement on hand, is certainly curious.
The veteran NHL forward has plenty of experience to offer a new organization, after playing more than 1,000 games and serving in various roles for Arizona.
New Jersey Devils Announce Hockey Operations Changes
The New Jersey Devils have announced several new roles and promotions among their hockey operations staff, starting with anointing a Director, Goaltending Development. Scott Clemmensen will serve in that role for the Devils, overseeing all goaltending development alongside Martin Brodeur, Brian Eklund, and Dave Rogalski.
Kate Madigan has been named Executive Director, Hockey Management/Operations, a promotion from her previous role as Director of Pro Scouting. Madigan will work on hockey operations projects such as free agency, trades, analytics, budget, and coordinating hockey operations personnel.
Jim Mill, who has experience as an AGM with the Minnesota Wild, will now oversee the Devils’ pro scouting staff.
The moves were all officially announced by GM Tom Fitzgerald, though it’s not even clear what his title will be after this season. The team gave Fitzgerald a multi-year contract, but only this season is as general manager. The Pittsburgh Penguins hoped to pull him away from that role when they were searching for their own GM but were not given permission. Regardless, the team has given some promotions to deserving candidates.
Leo Komarov Clears Waivers
Saturday: As expected, Komarov has once again cleared waivers, Johnston reports.
Friday: According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the New York Islanders have placed Leo Komarov on waivers for the second time this year. The veteran forward cleared just before the season began, but the team needed to reset his clock in order to have the ability to place him on the taxi squad. Once a player clears, they must go through the waiver process again after spending 30 days on the active roster or playing in ten NHL games. Komarov only spent one day of the last month on the taxi squad, meaning his time was about to be up.
Frankly, it appears as though the end may be approaching for Komarov, who has failed to record a single point in six games this season. The in-your-face winger was always known for his physicality and defense, but even those skills have slipped over the last year. Once a participant in the All-Star Game, Komarov has scored just 17 goals since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, despite playing 210 regular season games over that stretch.
The fact that he is still signed through next season with a $3MM cap hit all but assures that Komarov will get through waivers unclaimed, but it is not clear where his role with the Islanders really lies.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/12/21
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 Wild are still listed as TBA, but the rest of the list is in:
Arizona – John Hayden*
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
Detroit – Calvin Pickard*
Edmonton – Jesse Puljujarvi
Florida – Anthony Duclair
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – TBA
New Jersey – Nathan Bastian, Jesper Bratt, Connor Carrick, Eric Comrie, Nikita Gusev, Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Andreas Johnsson, Dmitry Kulikov, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Kyle Palmieri, Damon Severson, Ty Smith, Matt Tennyson, Sami Vatanen, Pavel Zacha, Travis Zajac
NY Rangers – Filip Chytil
Philadelphia – Justin Braun, Morgan Frost, Claude Giroux, Travis Sanheim, Jakub Voracek, Scott Laughton*, Oskar Lindblom*
Tampa Bay – Steven Stamkos*
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: (none)
The biggest addition here is Stamkos, who seemingly won’t be able to play in tomorrow’s game against the Panthers. Stamkos was a late scratch by the Lightning yesterday, but that was reported as injury-related. No update on his status was given this morning, but his appearance here is certainly troubling.
There are also two new names for the Flyers, including one that no hockey fan wanted to see on the CPRA list this season. Lindblom, a cancer survivor, has been added. It can’t be stressed enough that appearing here does not necessarily mean the player has tested positive for coronavirus, but everyone hoped Lindblom would avoid it entirely this season.
*denotes new addition
Valentin Zykov Signs In Sweden
Former NHL forward Valentin Zykov has signed a contract with MODO in the Swedish second league for the rest of the season. The 25-year-old became a Group VI unrestricted free agent in the offseason after his two-year contract expired.
Zykov is perhaps best known for his 20-game suspension in 2019 for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. While the Vegas Golden Knights had come to the defense of Nate Schmidt when he faced a similar suspension the year prior, the team distanced themselves from Zykov immediately, saying that he “knowingly used a banned substance without [their] consent, recommendation or knowledge.”
When that suspension ended, the Golden Knights quickly waived Zykov and sent him to the minor leagues, but it wasn’t actually the end of his career in Vegas. The young forward would come back up and play another eight games for the team in December. That brought his career total of NHL games to 55, where it stands today.
The move to MODO is a step down for sure, given the team is in Sweden’s minor league trying to secure promotion to the SHL. Zykov’s talent has never really been in question, he even led the AHL in goals during the 2017-18 season with the Charlotte Checkers and was previously a CHL Rookie of the Year. If he can show that his career is back on track over the next few months, perhaps he’ll be back in line for another chance in the NHL at some point.
Injury Notes: Tarasenko, Zuccarello, Werenski
Vladimir Tarasenko was back on the ice with his teammates today when the St. Louis Blues hit the ice in Arizona, a great sign as he continues to recover from his latest shoulder surgery. On February 3, Blues GM Doug Armstrong told reporters that his Russian sniper was still weeks away, but things were promising. Seeing him in a regular practice jersey with his teammates indicates that his return isn’t as far away as it once seemed.
When he is healthy enough to return, the question will be how exactly the Blues fit him in. The team is currently more than $7MM into their long-term injured reserve relief and though Alex Steen‘s $5.75MM cap hit covers a lot of that, adding Tarasenko back onto the books won’t be easy. That has led to the trade chatter surrounding Vince Dunn increasing again, this time with some additional cap-clearing motivation.
- Speaking of West Division forwards that are coming back from offseason surgery, the Minnesota Wild had Mats Zuccarello back at practice for the first time today, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. Zuccarello is only in the second season of a five-year, $30MM contract for the Wild, meaning his return to form would be a crucial boost for a team fighting to make the postseason. At his best, Zuccarello has been a top playmaking winger that can elevate the performance of his linemates. Whether the 33-year-old can get back to that level is not at all clear.
- Zach Werenski is expected to be back in the lineup on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks, or at least that is what Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella implied to reporters today, including Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Werenski has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury and is off to a rather slow start this season with just four points in 12 games. After scoring 20 goals and 41 points in just 63 games last season, big things were expected of the fifth-year defenseman.
Robin Salo Signs Entry-Level Contract
The New York Islanders have agreed to terms with Robin Salo on a two-year, entry-level contract. The team has immediately reassigned him to Orebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League, where he was already playing. This move allows the Islanders to bring the young defenseman over to North America and the NHL after the SHL season is completed if they want to.
Salo, 22, actually would have become an unrestricted free agent if not signed by June of this year, four years after his selection in the 2017 draft. Ranked the 20th international skater by NHL Central Scouting that year, he ended up falling to the Islanders partway through the second round, 46th overall. Since then, the Finnish-born Salo has played in Liiga and the SHL, breaking out offensively over the last two years to really become a difference-maker on the ice. This season he has 25 points in 39 games for Orebro.
Interestingly, signing his deal for this season means that the first year of the contract will be burned whether he plays in North America or not. The SHL regular season is set to end in March, but Orebro is expected to make the playoffs, meaning Salo’s year might not be done for some time. Still, he could be an option for the Islanders down the stretch, or perhaps come over to get his feet wet in the AHL.
Almost regardless of what happens this season, Salo should be in contention for a full-time roster spot in 2021-22. He’ll turn 23 in October and has the kind of all-around ability that should let him step quickly into professional hockey on this side of the pond. The Islanders, with Nick Leddy and Ryan Pulock both only signed through 2021-22, will need some reinforcements on the blue line in the coming years.
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.