Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/08/21
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 have placed Lias Andersson and Austin Strand on the taxi squad while sending Drake Rymsha, Mark Alt, and Tobias Bjornfot back to the minor leagues. The Kings have been making daily moves to maximize their cap room while minimizing salary paid out on off days.
North Division
- The Montreal Canadiens have sent Cale Fleury and Ryan Poehling to the AHL’s Laval Rocket, though a schedule for the minor league team has still not been announced. The two young players will get a chance to actually play once the Rocket start up, something neither of them could say so far this season with Montreal. Fleury, 22, played in 41 games last season but has been pushed down the depth chart by some offseason additions, while Poehling, 22, played 27 last season but scored just two points. The team has also flipped Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki between the taxi squad and roster, the rotation that they promised to continue with their young players.
- The Calgary Flames have recalled Brett Ritchie from the minor leagues, though it’s not clear if he will be on the taxi squad or NHL roster. Though he’s currently not listed on the roster, the Flames already had six players on their taxi squad meaning there wouldn’t be room. Ritchie could perhaps be getting a chance on the fourth line after signing a one-year deal last month.
- Before their game tonight, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled Olli Juolevi, moving Tyler Motte to injured reserve. The young Juolevi is expected to be back in the lineup after watching his team get carved up by the Maple Leafs the last two games, meaning he has another opportunity to establish himself in the NHL.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have sent Givani Smith and Mathias Brome to the taxi squad, as they bask in their 4-1 defeat of the Panthers last night. Smith was the star of the show, recording a “Gordie Howe hat trick” by scoring in the second period, assisting on Robby Fabbri‘s third-period tally, and fighting Aaron Ekblad after laying a huge (controversial) hit on MacKenzie Weegar. Smith has been an impressive performer for the Red Wings this season and should be back in the lineup tomorrow.
- Speaking of the Panthers, they have moved Mason Marchment off the active roster to the taxi squad. Marchment, 25, played just under eight minutes last night in his season debut, registering three hits.
- The Dallas Stars have reassigned Landon Bow and Tanner Kero to the taxi squad. Bow was really only up because Anton Khudobin was serving some team-imposed discipline, but he will now return to his role as the taxi squad goaltender. Kero meanwhile has moved up and down nearly every day, but will soon have to clear waivers again. He has played in seven games this season; once he plays ten, he will no longer be eligible to go to the taxi squad without clearing.
East Division
- The Washington Capitals have assigned Pheonix Copley and Martin Fehervary from the AHL to the taxi squad, an interesting move given the team was expected to have Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov coming off the COVID Protocol list in the coming days. Perhaps just some extra depth was required for tomorrow’s game against the Flyers. A few hours later they sent Philippe Maillet down to the taxi squad, following Kuznetsov’s return to practice.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Carolina Hurricanes Hire Justin Williams
The Carolina Hurricanes won’t have Justin Williams on the ice this season, but he’s still with them. The team announced today that Williams has been hired as a special advisor to general manager Don Waddell. In a release, Waddell explained why they’ve brought Williams back:
Justin has been a major part of the culture change that we’ve undergone here. We’re thrilled to add someone with his experience to our front office.
The 39-year-old Williams retired a few months ago after a long, successful career that included a short stint as the captain of the Hurricanes. Nicknamed “Mr. Game 7” for his outstanding performances in do-or-die situations, he is a three-time Stanley Cup Champion and the 2014 Conn Smythe winner.
Though his play on the ice was excellent, it comes as no surprise that Waddell mentioned his effect on the “culture” in Carolina instead. He was the face (and driving force) of a rebrand for the Hurricanes over the last several years, instituting things like the “Storm Surge” celebrations. He, along with veteran leaders like Jordan Martinook, also helped younger players like Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov become the stars they are today, protecting and guiding them through their early years in the league.
The Hurricanes are off to a 6-2 start this season and should be a strong contender in the Central Divison. Williams will now be around to help them reach the playoffs once again, even if he isn’t going to be suiting up for any potential game sevens.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
AHL Notes: Postponement, Stewart, Sexton
The AHL is off and running today with an afternoon tilt between the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Providence Bruins, but not all the games scheduled for today will go on as planned. Corey Masisak of The Athletic reports that the Binghamton Devils opener has been postponed, meaning they won’t take on the Hershey Bears later this evening.
Like the NHL, the minor league will have to scrape and claw their way through a shortened season, dealing with COVID issues and rescheduling troubles throughout. Still, it’s nice to see some prospects back on the ice today and hockey being played.
- Colorado Eagles president and general manager Chris Stewart has announced his retirement after nearly two decades with the organization. Stewart, 59, was the Eagles’ first head coach back when they were in the Central Hockey League and helped them transition into the ECHL and then the AHL in 2018. During his tenure, the Eagles have been dominant at times, including winning two consecutive Kelly Cup championships.
- The Belleville Senators are still working with the Canadian government to start their AHL season, but have announced some new coaches to the staff today. Ben Sexton has been added as an assistant coach, while Justin Peters joins the organization as a goaltending coach. Both Sexton and Peters have only recently retired from their playing careers and will now start their next chapter.
Troy Grosenick, Dominic Toninato Placed On Waivers
The Edmonton Oilers have placed Troy Grosenick on waivers, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, just a few days after finally activating him. The Oilers claimed Grosenick off waivers on January 16, but he never did play a game for them. Joining Grosenick on waivers is Dominic Toninato of the Winnipeg Jets, who had previously been placed on long-term injured reserve.
This could suggest that Mike Smith is close to returning for the Oilers, who have leaned heavily on Mikko Koskinen in his absence. Koskinen leads the league in games played, shots faced and minutes this season (not to mention losses and goals against) as he operated as the only real NHL-caliber goaltender on the Edmonton roster. Smith’s return would take some of that pressure off, though it is still not certain that the 38-year-old can really contribute much at this point in his career. Smith has a .900 save percentage over his last two seasons, though has gone 42-28-8 in that time.
Toninato meanwhile was put on LTIR just as the season began after he failed his training camp medicals. He too could be approaching a return, though it’s not clear if he has a role on the Jets NHL roster at this point. The 26-year-old forward did play 46 games for the Panthers last season but seems ticketed for the taxi squad or minor leagues (whenever the Manitoba Moose get started, that is) whenever he is healthy enough to do so.
There hasn’t been a skater claimed since the start of the season, but Grosenick perhaps could be claimed once again. The 31-year-old has been a strong minor league option for many years, including posting a .920 in 33 appearances with the Milwaukee Admirals last season. For teams like Toronto, Carolina or Colorado who are dealing with injuries, claiming Grosenick could represent a chance to add some goaltending depth for the next little while.
Chris Drury Promoted To Associate General Manager
The New York Rangers have given Chris Drury a shiny new title, promoting him from assistant general manager to associate general manager. He will remain general manager of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. The team explains that in his role, Drury will “continue to assist Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton on all player transactions and contract negotiations.”
Drury had recently been linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins GM search, before suddenly removing himself from contention earlier this week. In all likelihood, this promotion is the reason why.
For the Rangers, losing a promising young executive like Drury to a rival like Pittsburgh would have been unwise. The 44-year-old Drury was not only a star player in the NHL, with a Stanley Cup championship and two Olympic medals, but he was a Rangers captain and has been a rising star since joining the management side. In 2019 he was even tapped by USA Hockey to GM the World Championship squad and was set to have the same role in 2020 before the tournament was canceled.
At some point down the line, Drury will become a GM in the NHL. It will be interesting to see whether that is in New York at some point, with Gorton either departing or moving into a different role. They won’t be able to keep Drury around forever if he truly wants control of a franchise.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/05/21
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.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Givani Smith from the taxi squad while removing Filip Zadina from the COVID Protocol. Zadina is expected to be back in the lineup tonight when the Red Wings take on Tampa Bay, skating on a top line with Dylan Larkin and Bobby Ryan.
- The Florida Panthers have loaned Aleksi Heponiemi to the AHL for the time being, while recalling Owen Tippett from the taxi squad for tonight’s game. Heponiemi scored a single goal (an overtime winner in fact) during his three games this season.
- Mathieu Olivier is back up for the Nashville Predators. The team has recalled the physical forward from the taxi squad, a frequent move so far this season.
- The Dallas Stars have returned Jason Robertson to the taxi squad after he joined the club for their game on Thursday night. The prolific junior goal scorer is still looking for his first NHL tally through six games, three last year and three so far this year.
East Division
- Martin Fehervary has been sent from the Washington Capitals taxi squad to the minor leagues, as the Hershey Bears prepare to start their season tonight. Fehervary played in 56 games for the Bears last season, recording 14 points. The 21-year-old hasn’t seen any NHL time this season.
- There is some concern for the health of Philadelphia Flyers young starter Carter Hart after the goalie was shaken up at the team’s morning skate and now Alex Lyon has been recalled on an emergency basis from the taxi squad ahead of Friday night’s game. Forward Connor Bunnaman has also been added from the taxi squad. CapFriendly adds that Samuel Morin was recalled from the taxi squad.
North Division
- The Winnipeg Jets have reassigned David Gustafsson to the taxi squad, moving Cole Perfetti from the taxi squad to the AHL in the process. Gustafsson, 20, has played in four games this season but has yet to register a point. The Jets don’t play again until Tuesday, at which point they could have Pierre-Luc Dubois in the lineup for the first time. Dubois’ quarantine is scheduled to end on Saturday. CapFriendly adds that Kristian Vesalainen has also been sent to the taxi squad.
- Loui Eriksson has been activated by the Vancouver Canucks, the team announced. The veteran forward has yet to make his season debut for the team. Eriksson will take the roster spot of Josh Bailey, who has been moved to the taxi squad.
- The Montreal Canadiens have once again returned Corey Perry to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. They have been shuffling him back on non-game days over the past couple of weeks and he will likely be recalled and play in his seventh game of the season before Saturday’s rematch against Ottawa.
West Division
- With the Minnesota Wild currently out of action due to COVID and the AHL’s Iowa Wild about to get their own season started, the team has shifted a number of players around. Minnesota announced that forwards Luke Johnson, Gerald Mayhew, and Kyle Rau have been moved from the active roster to the taxi squad, while fellow forwards Will Bitten and Mason Shaw have been reassigned from the taxi squad to Iowa.
- The Los Angeles Kings announced several roster moves. Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Mark Alt, and Austin Strand were all recalled from the taxi squad while Lias Andersson was moved down to the taxi squad. Meanwhile, Matt Luff was activated off injured reserve and remains on the NHL roster.
- The Anaheim Ducks recalled defenseman Hunter Drew to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly with Vinni Lettieri being sent to AHL San Diego in a corresponding move. Drew started the season in Slovakia where he had 16 points in 20 games along with a whopping 111 penalty minutes.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
NHL Moves Up Games From Later In Season
The NHL has done what many fans and media members have suggested. Two games scheduled to take place between the Arizona Coyotes and St. Louis Blues later in the season have been moved up. Originally scheduled for March 29 and 31, the two teams will now play on February 6 and 8.
This move comes with the Coyotes and Blues both facing changes in their schedule next week. Arizona was supposed to face the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche, but both teams have been shut down due to COVID cases. The Blues too were supposed to take on the Avalanche and then Wild, meaning St. Louis and Arizona have nothing better to do than get some of their matches finished.
The schedule maker is certainly earning his salary this season. The two teams are currently playing the second of a pair, and they had another two-game series set to start next weekend, meaning the Coyotes now have six straight games on the schedule against the Blues. St. Louis technically has a game against the Wild squeezed into that stretch, though it’s unclear whether it will be played.
NHL Postpones Colorado Avalanche Games Through February 11
After Gabriel Landeskog showed up on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list today, the NHL has postponed all Colorado Avalanche games through February 11. The Avalanche already had games against the Minnesota Wild postponed because of their outbreak, but now will miss games against the St. Louis Blues this weekend and Arizona Coyotes early next week.
The team’s training facilities have been closed, effective immediately, and will remain that way until further notice. The schedule continues to be reviewed.
This is a troubling outcome after the Avalanche played three games against the Wild, the second time in just a few days that there seems to have been an in-game spread. Though that can’t be confirmed obviously, the league is now facing several shutdowns across different divisions.
The chart of postponed games continues to grow.
PHR Live Chat Transcript: 02/04/21
Click here to read a transcript of this week’s live chat with PHR’s Gavin Lee.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/04/21
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. Today, commissioner Gary Bettman announced some in-arena adjustments for the league to follow, but also released a statement on the current situation:
With about 20 percent of our season played, we are mindful of the fact that we might be seeing a more aggressive transmission of the virus and will continue to make adjustments to our Protocols as we consult on a daily basis with, and adhere to, the recommendations of our medical advisors.
It is important to note that, while we have seen almost 100 players enter our COVID Protocols, fewer than half have done so because of confirmed positive tests – and, among that group, many have not been symptomatic. Our priority has been and will continue to be to act conservatively with an abundance of caution, understanding that there are many things about the transmission of COVID-19 that are still being discovered. As a result, we won’t hesitate to take additional measures as indicated by what we are learning and as directed by our medical advisors.
Here is the CPRA list for today:
Buffalo – Taylor Hall, Rasmus Ristolainen, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, Jake McCabe*
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Ryan Carpenter, Lucas Wallmark
Colorado – Tyson Jost, Gabriel Landeskog*
Dallas – Andrej Sekera
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou, Blake Lizotte
Minnesota – Marcus Foligno, Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson, Jared Spurgeon, Nico Sturm*
New Jersey – Connor Carrick, Kyle Palmieri, Sami Vatanen, Travis Zajac, Andreas Johnsson, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, Pavel Zacha, Jack Hughes, Damon Severson, Ty Smith, Matt Tennyson, Jesper Bratt, Nathan Bastian, Nikita Gusev, Yegor Sharangovich
Pittsburgh – John Marino
Vegas – Alex Pietrangelo
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Pierre-Luc Dubois
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: Filip Zadina, Detroit Red Wings; Aaron Dell, New Jersey Devils;
Of course, the list does not include Buffalo head coach Ralph Krueger, who has also tested positive and is isolating away from the team. McCabe joins four other important members of the Sabres that are sitting out, though it is not clear how many have actually tested positive.
The addition of Landeskog is also important to note, given that the Avalanche are not shutdown like the Minnesota Wild, their last opponent and have a game scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The team is already dealing with a long list of injuries and now will likely be without their captain as well.
It is important to note that Dell wasn’t actually on the list because of the outbreak among the Devils, but because of quarantine rules after he was claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unfortunately, he still won’t get to practice with his new team until the Devils go back to work.
*denotes new addition