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Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/30/21

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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

  • Late Monday, the Vegas Golden Knights made a number of roster moves, according to CapFriendly, which includes recalling forward Cody Glass and defenseman Dylan Coughlan, while also calling up goaltender Oskar Dansk on an emergency loan. Dansk was just filling in for Marc-Andre Fleury who got the day off. The team also called up forward Dylan Sikura, defenseman Carl Dahlstrom and goaltender Logan Thompson to the taxi squad.
  • Vegas also announced it has assigned center Cody Glass to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, which is somewhat surprising after the forward put up an impressive performance Monday against Los Angeles. Of course, that doesn’t mean he will play a game for Henderson, but something to keep an eye on as Vegas works the salary cap before the trade deadline.

North Division

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have reassigned three players to the taxi squad, including forwards Adam Brooks and Scott Sabourin as well as defenseman Timothy Liljegren. All three played in the Toronto Marlies victory over Stockton Monday with Brooks and Liljegren each picking up goals, while Sabourin picked up a five-minute major. The team also assigned forward Nicholas Robertson and defenseman Calle Rosen to the Marlies.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have recalled three players from the taxi squad to the NHL club, including forwards Zac Dalpe and Liam Foudy as well as recalling goaltender Cam Johnson on emergency conditions. That likely means that goaltender Joonas Korpisalo may not be ready to step into backup duties. After clearing waivers, the team has also assigned defenseman Scott Harrington to the taxi squad.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forwards Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov and Frans Nielson from the taxi squad, their standard roster moves before a game.
  • With a need of defensive help, the Florida Panthers announced the recall of veteran Anton Stralman to the NHL squad. The 34-year-old has three goals and nine points in 29 games this season.
  • Another day, another shuffle of forwards in Dallas. The team announced that Ty Dellandrea, Justin Dowling, and Tanner Kero have all been activated from the taxi squad, while Joel L’Esperance has been reassigned to the taxi squad. All four have been transaction fixtures this season.

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace to the taxi squad from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. After an undisclosed injury to Tristan Jarry, the team may need Lagace closer to home. To make room on the taxi squad, the team has send forward Jonathan Gruden to the WBS Penguins.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Artem Anisimov, Scott Harrington Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Both Anisimov and Harrington have cleared, according to Friedman.

Monday: Two veterans have hit waivers today, as Artem Anisimov of the Ottawa Senators and Scott Harrington of the Columbus Blue Jackets are available for claim, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Anisimov already cleared in February, but has bounced back and forth from the taxi squad to the active roster enough to need his waiver clock reset. Despite spending some of the time on injured reserve, the veteran forward has played ten games since he cleared, meaning if the team wanted to put him back on the taxi squad or in the minor leagues, he needed to go through the process again.

The 32-year-old Anisimov has played in just 14 games this season and has four points, totals that compare poorly even to his disappointing 2019-20 campaign. He at least scored 15 goals for the Senators last year, though he was still obviously a shell of his former self. Carrying a $4.55MM cap hit, there’s virtually no chance that another team claims Anisimov at this point.

Harrington meanwhile has continued to serve in a depth role for the Blue Jackets, playing just six games this season. The 28-year-old defenseman is closing in on 200 games in his NHL career, but doesn’t represent much more than an injury replacement or taxi squad filler at this point. For his cap hit of $1.63MM that’s not enough, meaning it should come as much of a surprise that he finds himself on waivers.

By moving Harrington to the taxi squad or waivers, the Blue Jackets can bury $1.075MM of his cap hit. He also appears to be a potential buyout candidate for the summer when he will still have one year remaining on his deal. Despite the fact that he is a defenseman, Harrington also seems unlikely to be claimed given his cap hit.

Central Notes: Tortorella, Lehtonen, Barkov, McDonagh

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Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen wasn’t too happy about the two-game sweep the team endured over the weekend to the lowly Detroit Red Wings. In fact, the GM is quite frustrated with the team’s struggles.

“It’s shocking,” Kekalainen said. “Especially to think that we played some of our best hockey just before that (vs. Carolina). To go to Detroit and play like that, get beaten like that twice in a row, is not good.”

However, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes that despite the fact that John Tortorella is in the final year of his contract and is likely moving on at the end of the year, the team doesn’t seem intent on removing their head coach.

“It doesn’t look like a team, that’s the way I would put,” Kekalainen said. “I’m sure (Tortorella) is as frustrated as anybody right now. I’ve said it before: It can’t all fall on one guy. Players should have enough professional pride to always try to be at their best, play for the team, play for the logo and play for the organization. Right now we’re not looking like a team like that.”

  • Sticking with the Blue Jackets, defenseman Mikko Lehtonen will make his Columbus debut, according to Portzline. The blueliner was acquired from Toronto for goalie prospect Veini Vehvilainen on March 12 and has now passed through quarantine. The highly-touted offensive defenseman was a big signing by Toronto during the offseason, but couldn’t work his way into the lineup there, appearing in just nine games with three assists.
  • Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville told reporters that star center Aleksander Barkov should return to the team shortly, according to NHL.com’s Jameson Olive. While Barkov was not on the ice Tuesday, Quenneville said he expects him to return at some point during the team’s four-game homestand. Barkov has missed four straight games with a lower-body injury.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh was on the ice for practice Tuesday with the team. However, the blueliner, who has missed three straight games due to a lower-body injury, wasn’t a full participant, rotating in at different times during drills, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith. That would suggest that while McDonagh is close to returning to the lineup, he is likely still a few days away from returning to game action

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Tyler Angle

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Tyler Angle to a three-year entry-level contract, which will begin in the 2021-22 season. Angle is currently playing with the Cleveland Monsters on an amateur tryout contract.

Another example of an OHL player seeing his first professional action during this unique season, Angle actually is old enough to continue playing in the AHL even under a normal contract. The fact is he needed to prove he could hack it at that level before the team committed an entry-level deal, given how late the 20-year-old was drafted.

Selected 212th overall in 2019, Angle is a late-blooming center that failed to even crack the 20-point threshold until his third full season of OHL hockey. In his fourth he was better than a point-per-game, a rate that he has carried right to the AHL with seven points in his first six games for the Monsters. Had Angle not been signed by June, the Blue Jackets would have lost their exclusive draft rights and he could have become an unrestricted free agent. Instead, he’ll join the organization and try to continue his steep development path.

Trade Candidate: David Savard

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

It hasn’t exactly been the year that the Columbus Blue Jackets would have hoped for. The team has struggled on offense and hasn’t done a whole lot better on defense this season. Throw in some banged up goaltending and the Blue Jackets suddenly find themselves in sixth place in the Central Division with Dallas just behind them with four games in hand. That would suggest that this might be a good year to sell.

The team could find themselves ready to move on from defensive stalwart David Savard. The 30-year-old blueliner has been with the Blue Jackets for 10 years now, but while he’s still quite effective, has seen his playing time dip a full minute from last season and as the defenseman’s contract is ending, it might be time to move on from him.

Contract

Savard is in the final year of a five-year, $21.25MM contract he signed back in 2015. It has an AAV of $4.25MM with no trade protection.

2020-21

While Savard still is seeing top-four minutes, he has seen a decline in playing time. The blueliner is averaging 19:37 of ATOI this season, while he averaged 20:41 of ice time last season. While he averaged a minus-three in plus/minus last season, that number has gotten worse as he currently has a minus-15.

The right-shot Savard, however, does offer some solid penalty killing skills, which many playoff teams are often looking for at the deadline and would be a perfect fit for many teams in the league. He isn’t an offensive threat and never will be considering his best offensive season in the last five years was a 24-point outing in 2018-19. He currently has five assists and is not on the power play.

Savard also offers some size to teams who might need it at 6-foot-2, 229 pounds and is an excellent shot blocker who can also dole out hits, again features many teams are looking for. He is also a humorous locker room presence. Savard has also looked stronger more recently and has reunited with partner Vladislav Gavrikov recently, who he played with last season.

Season Stats

34 GP, 0 goals, 5 assists, 5 points, -15 rating, 24 PIMS, 41 shots, 19:37 TOI, 43.6 CF%

Potential Suitors

Plenty of teams would be interested in Savard despite his AAV.

One team that would make sense would be the Florida Panthers. General manager Bill Zito has made a habit of picking up former Blue Jacket players and Savard might be a good fit in Florida as the team ramps up its efforts for a serious playoff run this year. While the team has some solid defense, the team can always use someone like Savard to provide much needed physicality and shot-blocking skills into their lineup.

With the lessening of the 14-day quarantine in Canada to just seven days, that could make it easier for Columbus to send Savard up North where several teams could be on the lookout for a defensive defenseman. Both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Jets might make sense for Savard, although both teams are more likely to be looking for a bigger splash in Mattias Ekholm. However, Savard might make a solid consolation prize.

Even a team like Colorado or Vegas could be candidates for a low-key player such as Savard to help for an ultimate Stanley Cup run.

Likelihood Of A Trade

There is no guarantee that Savard would stay with the Blue Jackets if they elected not to trade him despite the fact that he’s spent his entire career in Columbus. One other key factor is that even in sixth place, the Blue Jackets are only three points out of a playoff spot, although four teams are vying for that honor. That doesn’t mean that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is ready to trade off one of his top-four defensemen. However, with few picks in the last few drafts, the Blue Jackets should be cognizant of the fact that they still don’t have a full slate of picks even this year as they are without a second-round pick, something the team might be able to pry off a team for Savard.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/28/21

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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:

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators got the day started on the transaction wire with the swap of two forward prospects, partially reversing the moves they made yesterday. The team announced that Alex Formenton has been recalled from AHL Belleville and assigned to the taxi squad. In a corresponding move, Jack Kopacka has been reassigned from the squad to the minors. Formenton has played in two games with Ottawa so far this year, while Kopacka has spent time on the active roster but has yet to make his Senators debut.
  • Veini Vehvilainen has finally joined the Toronto Maple Leafs after completing his mandating quarantine period. The young goaltender, acquired earlier this month from the Columbus Blue Jackets, has been assigned to the taxi squad, with prospect Ian Scott returning to the AHL Marlies. Vehvilainen’s arrival comes at a good time; starter Frederik Andersen remains sidelined and replacement Jack Campbell was given a rest day, so Vehvilainen and Michael Hutchinson were the only goaltenders in attendance at Leafs practice today. Should the Maple Leafs suffer another injury in net, Vehvilainen is now the next man up with the other three goalies already on the active roster.

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins are set to wrap up a homestand on Monday before heading out on the road and are taking the opportunity to switch out their taxi squad personnel. Forwards Jordy Bellerive and Josh Currie have been reassigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Without announcing any corresponding move, this likely bodes well for the health of numerous Penguins forward currently sidelined by injury or on the COVID Protocol list.
  • The Buffalo Sabres will give young goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and forward Brett Murray some play time, reassigning the duo from the practice squad to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Luukkonen, considered the Sabres’ starter of the future, has played in eight AHL games so far this season but could get his first look with the top club before the end of the year. Murray is also looking to make his NHL debut; the 2016 fourth-round pick took a circuitous route to the pros but has nevertheless proven himself to be an effective player in the AHL and could soon get a chance in Buffalo.

Central Division

  • While the Maple Leafs have added former Blue Jacket Vehvilainen to their practice squad, Columbus has gone one step further today by recalling the other side of that recent trade, defenseman Mikko Lehtonen, to the active roster. Lehtonen, a prolific KHL offensive defenseman, recorded three points in nine games with Toronto before the trade, but the Blue Jackets hope that they can put him in a position to be more productive among their deep group of dependable defenders. Forward Stefan Matteau will be taking Lehtonen’s spot on the taxi squad, while promising young forward Liam Foudy will also join the squad after being promoted from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.
  • The Dallas Stars announced they have swapped a pair of forwards. The team has recalled Nicholas Caamano from the taxi squad and have assigned Justin Dowling to the taxi squad.
  • The Florida Panthers announced they have moved forward Aleksi Heponiemi from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL to the team’s taxi squad. The diminutive forward has four assists in three games for Syracuse and has an assist in three games for the Panthers this season.
  • The Nashville Predators announced they have recalled goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo from the taxi squad under emergency circumstances as starter Juuse Saros is out and listed as day-to-day. Defenseman David Farrance, who just signed his entry-level deal, has been assigned to the taxi squad. The team also has sent defenseman Jeremy Davies to the taxi squad. Nashville also announced that the teams 2020 second-round pick, Luke Evangelista has been assigned to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL since the OHL still hasn’t begun their season.

West Division

  • As they embark on a road trip, the Minnesota Wild have called in reinforcements up front in Luke Johnson. The veteran AHLer has been recalled to the taxi squad from AHL Iowa, where he has only played in two games this season versus six with Minnesota. A taxi squad fixture, Johnson has been a reliable depth piece for the Wild this year.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Jordan Gross to the taxi squad.

Injury Notes: Kunin, Dal Colle, Fix-Wolansky

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After missing nearly the entire month of March with an upper-body injury, Luke Kunin is finally healthy and has been activated from the Injured Reserve. In his first season with the Nashville Predators, Kunin got off to a slow start with just five points in his first 17 game – almost half of his scoring pace from last season with the Minnesota Wild – and has since been sidelined for the past 13 games. He hopes to return to the lineup and make an impact for a team that desperately needs it. After all, Kunin’s five points is still a top-12 mark among Predators forwards even after missing close to half the season so far. Nashville needs the 23-year-old to be at his best and to help those around him improve as well if they want any hope of climbing into a playoff spot in the Central Division.

  • The New York Islanders have had to make a split decision today in order to accommodate an injury. Earlier this morning, head coach Barry Trotz stated that forward Michael Dal Colle had suffered a lower-body injury and would be unable to suit up for the team’s next two games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Trotz did not indicate that Dal Colle would need any more time than that though. However, due to a roster crunch, Dal Colle will have to sit longer than that. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reported this evening that Dal Colle has been placed on injured reserve so that the team could recall a replacement in young Kieffer Bellows. This means Dal Colle will be out of commission for at least ten days, beyond just the original two-game timeline.
  • One player who will really be out long-term is Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Trey Fix-Wolansky. The club has announced that the 2017 draft pick suffered an ACL injury in his right knee in an AHL game earlier this month and has undergone surgery to repair the damage. The estimated timeline for his recovery is six months, but ACL tears have been known to sideline hockey players for longer than expected. Fix-Wolansky, an undersized winger, has shown some impressive offensive upside in his young pro career, but this injury could be a setback in his pursuit of an NHL role.

Mikko Lehtonen's Immigration Issue Resolved

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  • Blue Jackets defenseman Mikko Lehtonen has finally been able to join the team after clearing up his immigration issue, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). Columbus acquired the 27-year-old from Toronto just over two weeks ago in exchange for goaltender Veini Vehvilainen and he should give them some extra depth should they decide to sell by next month’s trade deadline.  After being off for this long, however, he will probably need a few days of practice time before he’s ready to suit up.

East Notes: Ullmark, Zucker, Kuraly

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The Buffalo Sabres have a new coaching staff in place and could be getting back a key player from injury soon as interim coach Don Granato said that starting goaltender Linus Ullmark is expected to join the team for their four-game road trip starting on Monday, according to NHL.com’s Jourdon LaBarber.

“We need to integrate him into practice. That’s the next step here,” said Granato.

That doesn’t sound like Ullmark is ready to play, but getting on the ice with the team would be a big step for a player, who has only appeared in 12 games this season and hasn’t seen the ice since Feb. 25. Ullmark was playing quite well with a 5-4-2 record, a 2.44 GAA and a .919 save percentage. If he can return soon, that could be a huge boost for a team that has lost 13 in a row.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said that forward Jason Zucker continues to progress in his rehab from a lower-body injury. The winger was placed on LTIR, retroactive to Feb. 23, according to PGPSportsNow’s Matt Vensel. Sullivan said that Zucker dressed in full gear Sunday and skated with the taxi squad, suggesting he’s getting closer to a return. Regardless, it looks like Zucker should be able to return before the end of the season. The 29-year-old has four goals and seven points in 17 games, but should supply a big boost to the team’s top-six once he returns.
  • Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy writes that sources suggest that the Boston Bruins are willing to move fourth-line forward Sean Kuraly in any package and the team could find a taker in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus might be interested in Kuraly, who is a local kid, and could provide the team with solid two-way play. The scribe writes that the team feels they have younger players who look ready to step in as fourth-line options.

Multiple Teams Showing Interest In Nick Foligno

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It has been a tough season so far for the Blue Jackets as they find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoffs in the Central Division as they sit four points behind Chicago for the fourth and final position.  Accordingly, teams are starting to call to gauge interest in their willingness to sell.  As Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic notes in the latest TSN Insider Trading segment (video link), Columbus has received several calls on winger Nick Foligno including from the Islanders and Maple Leafs.

The 33-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent and provides some grit and two-way play in the middle-six which is something that many teams would understandably covet.  Foligno is producing at a bit of a slower pace than he has in recent years but still has five goals and seven assists in 30 games so far this season while averaging more than 18 minutes per game.  Teams likely also have fresh memories from his performance in the bubble that saw him pick up six points in ten games while helping the Blue Jackets get past Toronto in the Qualifying Round.

From a financial perspective, New York makes sense with Anders Lee’s season-ending knee injury.  The Isles now have plenty of extra LTIR space at their disposal and they would be able to absorb Foligno’s $5.5MM price tag without any issues.  It’s a bit trickier for Toronto, however.  The Maple Leafs won’t have anyone on LTIR once Wayne Simmonds is activated sooner than later, nor do they have anywhere near enough cap room to take Foligno on at even half of that price tag.  Accordingly, they’d be in a position where they would need to take a regular off their roster to facilitate a move.

Of course, if the Blue Jackets have their way, they may not be moving their captain at all.  Four points is hardly insurmountable especially with every game being played inside the division.  With 26 games left heading into play tonight, that gap can be made up which is why any sort of move regarding Foligno will come closer to the April 12th trade deadline.  But if Columbus falls out of the race between now and then, he’s someone that should draw plenty of interest around the league beyond the Isles and Maple Leafs.

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