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NHL Postpones Sabres-Islanders

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The NHL has postponed another game, this time between the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders tonight. The release explains as follows:

The National Hockey League announced that tonight’s Buffalo Sabres vs. NY Islanders game is being postponed due to the League’s COVID Protocol.  Due to weather conditions yesterday, the Sabres altered their travel schedule so as to fly today to New York.  So that required COVID contact tracing and testing protocols can be completed appropriately, the decision has been made to re-schedule the game for a future date.

The Sabres recently played the New Jersey Devils, who have experienced a COVID outbreak and had ten players on yesterday’s COVID Protocol Related Absences list. John Vogl of The Athletic tweets that a source has told him “Buffalo is furious” and that the Sabres asked the league for more information when Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri were added to the list but did not receive it.

This will be the 15th game postponed so far this season and fourth in the East Division just over the past two days. The Devils will be shut down for at least a week while they try to contain the spread. The Sabres are scheduled to play the Islanders again on Thurdsay, before heading to Boston for a Saturday night game against the Bruins.

Islanders Place Anthony Beauvillier On IR

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The Islanders will be without one of their top-six wingers for at least the next week as the team announced (Twitter link) that they have placed Anthony Beauvillier on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.  Arthur Staple of The Athletic clarifies (Twitter link) that the placement is retroactive to Monday but even so, Beauvillier will miss at least the next four games.  Kieffer Bellows has been recalled from the taxi squad in a corresponding move.

Beauvillier had a career year in 2019-20 with 39 points in 68 games along with 14 more in 22 postseason contests (including nine goals which tied for the team lead) but that hasn’t carried over into this season.  Through five games in 2020-21, the 23-year-old has just a single assist that was recorded back in the season opener while also managing just four shots on goal after averaging nearly two per game last season.

As for Bellows, the 22-year-old has actually played in all but one of New York’s five games so far this season but has been making regular appearances in our taxi squad shuffle posts as he has been moved up and down with regularity.  Although he has shown some offensive upside in the past which helped him get selected 19th overall in the 2016 draft, he has been deployed on the fourth line this season.  However, with Beauvillier out, Bellows may get his chance to play a bigger role for the time being.

Islanders Sign Tom Kuhnhackl To AHL PTO

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The way back to the NHL for wingers Tom Kuhnhackl and Tim Schaller will first require making an AHL team.  The Bridgeport Sound Tigers (affiliate of the Islanders) announced that they’ve inked Kuhnhackl to a PTO agreement for training camp while the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (affiliate of Pittsburgh) did the same for Schaller.

Kuhnhackl split last season between the Islanders and Sound Tigers with the majority of his playing time coming in New York where he played in 28 regular season games and three postseason contests compared to just four AHL games.  However, he was unable to land a contract in free agency and didn’t secure a two-way deal with the Isles in their training camp.  He’ll now look to land a one-way AHL deal in the hopes of getting converted to an NHL contract later on.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/22/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • With no other real options, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Pierre-Olivier Joseph from their taxi squad under emergency conditions. The young defenseman is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the  New York Rangers. Joseph, 21, was the 23rd overall pick in 2017 and recorded 17 points in 52 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have elevated Nathan Gerbe from the taxi squad, moving Emil Bemstrom down in his place. The 33-year-old Gerbe hasn’t played yet this season but recorded ten points in 30 games last year for the club.
  • After clearing waivers, Brandon Pirri was re-assigned to the Chicago Blackhawks taxi squad. Carl Soderberg and Brandon Hagel have both been moved to the active roster. Soderberg, 35, has yet to play this season and is expected to make his debut tonight against the Detroit Red Wings.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Brian Pinho from the taxi squad as they try to fill out a roster card without their four Russian stars. Pinho, 25, scored 20 goals and 37 points in 62 games for the Hershey Bears last season and made his NHL debut in the postseason bubble.
  • Givani Smith has been recalled from the Red Wings taxi squad, giving them another forward option as more players find themselves on the COVID list. The Red Wings start a two-game series with the Blackhawks tonight with a chance to climb even further up the Central Division table.  Taro Hirose was also brought up to the taxi squad.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have activated James Neal off injured reserve, meaning someone needed to go to the taxi squad. That someone is Joakim Nygard, who has been moved off the active roster. Olivier Rodrigue, who had been serving as the taxi squad goaltender, has also swapped places with Dylan Wells. Rodrigue will report to the AHL while Wells is now the third-string option for Edmonton.
  • Samuel Morin has been moved back to the taxi squad as the Philadelphia Flyers wait for their next game. Morin, who is making the switch from defense to forward this season, has yet to get into a game.
  • Brogan Rafferty has been moved to the taxi squad by the Vancouver Canucks, as they continue to try and work out their defensive issues. Rafferty had been up on emergency loan while the Canucks dealt with several injuries, but is now back down on the team’s day off.
  • Victor Soderstrom is expected to make his NHL debut tonight after being recalled from the taxi squad by the Arizona Coyotes. The team has moved Jordan Gross down for the time being, allowing their young phenom to get into a game. Soderstrom, 19, was the 11th overall pick in 2019 and quickly became one of the top defensive prospects in the entire league.  Aaron Ness was sent to the minors while Ivan Prosvetov was added to the taxi squad.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have assigned both Lias Andersson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan to the taxi squad while the team prepares for a four-game road trip that takes them to St. Louis tomorrow. The Kings are coming off their first win of the season and looking to continue to hold their own in a tough West Division.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Mathieu Olivier from the taxi squad while also activating Mikael Granlund to the active roster after he completed his quarantine protocols.  Olivier leads the Preds in hits in the early going this season with eight while Granlund will make his season debut.
  • Anaheim has made a long list of moves, per CapFriendly.  The Ducks have recalled David Backes, Max Jones, and Josh Mahura to the NHL roster while Anthony Stolarz and Isac Lundestrom are now on the taxi squad.  Sonny Milano has been placed on IR while Lukas Dostal has been sent to AHL San Diego.
  • The Boston Bruins have shuffled Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The two have been shuffled multiple times already this season to bank cap room and will likely be recalled for tomorrow’s game against Philadelphia.
  • Colorado has recalled Martin Kaut on an emergency basis, per CapFriendly.  Conor Timmins was sent back to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.  Erik Johnson isn’t expected to play tonight and Kaut’s addition will allow the Avalanche to dress 12 forwards and six defensemen.
  • The Islanders have shuffled Kieffer Bellows back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The winger has played in all four games this season but with them off until Sunday, New York can save nearly $15K in salary by sending him back for two days.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have flipped defensemen again as Andreas Borgman has been recalled with Luke Schenn going to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  While they’re so deep into LTIR where the small cap savings will be irrelevant, doing so extends Schenn’s waiver exemption a little longer.
  • Vegas has recalled Cody Glass from the taxi squad, notes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  Nicolas Hague has been sent back down to the taxi squad, meaning the Golden Knights will go back to dressing 13 forwards and just five defensemen.

This page will be updated throughout the day as more moves are officially announced. 

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/20/21

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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. Other than the Montreal Canadiens, listed as TBA, and the Dallas Stars, the other 29 teams are covered on today’s list:

Carolina – Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, Jordan Staal, Teuvo Teravainen
Columbus – Mikko Koivu
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri
Florida – Juho Lammikko
Minnesota Wild – Alex Stalock
Nashville – Mikael Granlund
New Jersey – Jesper Bratt*
NY Islanders – Josh Bailey*
Philadelphia – Shayne Gostisbehere
Tampa Bay –  Curtis McElhinney
Washington Capitals – Evgeny Kuznetsov*, Dmitry Orlov*, Alex Ovechkin*, Ilya Samsonov*
Winnipeg – Anton Forsberg, Tucker Poolman

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: Eric Comrie, New Jersey Devils; Blake Coleman, Tampa Bay Lightning.

As for the missing teams, the Canadiens are on the road in Vancouver and have until 5:00pm local time to report, but are not expected to have any players in the protocol. As has been the case so far this season, the league declined to identify anyone from Dallas and will hold off on doing so until they are able to play in their first game, now scheduled for January 22. They had a significant outbreak early in camp as 17 of the 27 players that tested positive in training camp were from the Stars.

*denotes new addition

East Notes: Kase, Reinhart, Varlamov, Frost

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The Boston Bruins will be without one of their top wingers as head coach Bruce Cassidy said that Ondrej Kase is doubtful for Monday’s game against the New York Islanders with an upper-body injury, according to Boston Hockey Now’s Joe Haggerty.

Kase took a high hit against the boards from New Jersey’s Miles Wood during the second period of Saturday’s game. Already with a history of concussions, the forward skated off the ice on his own, but was holding his face.

On a positive note, winger Craig Smith, out with a lower-body injury, is likely to be available on Monday. Smith did make his debut on Saturday, playing 17:07 of ice time and should find himself on the second line. Jake Debrusk is expected to move over to the right side and fill in on the team’s first line as well.

  • The Sabres were missing a pair of wingers in practice Sunday as Sam Reinhart was not at practice and remains questionable after suffering a lower-body injury Friday in a collision against the boards, according to the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington. Reinhart was skating uncomfortably after going down awkwardly, but still played 21:25. The forward was moved to the top line during the game, giving that line better opportunities. The team was also missing Kyle Okposo, who hasn’t played a game yet this season and remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
  • While no update on the severity of the injury, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports that the injury that New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov suffered during warmups is a jaw issue, not a neck issue. The netminder took a shot that went underneath his mask and forced him to leave the ice. Rookie Ilya Sorokin got the start instead with veteran Cory Schneider serving as the backup.
  • With their lines developing chemistry, Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said he’s not interested in rotating the lines after the injury to Sean Couturier. Therefore Morgan Frost, who was expected to step in for the Selke winner, will take over for Couturier and take over top-line centering duties and will play with Travis Konecny and Oskar Lindblom, according to Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. “I think Morgan deserves this opportunity to play with TK and Oskar,” Vigneault said. “What went into our decision, also, was that the other lines are building some chemistry. … Instead of shuffling everything (he made just one move). Morgan is considered to be a skilled offensive player. I might as well put him in that role. With TK and Oskar, he’s playing with two pretty good players.”

Islanders Loan Josh Ho-Sang To The SHL

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Saturday: The Islanders officially announced (Twitter link) that Ho-Sang has been loaned to Orebro.

Friday: After not being invited to training camp and clearing waivers, Islanders forward Josh Ho-Sang has a place to play this season but it’s not New York’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.  Instead, the team has loaned him to Orebro of the SHL, reports Arthur Staple of The Athletic (Twitter link).  The agreement will be in place for the duration of the season overseas although Ho-Sang will be eligible to return to North America after the SHL playoffs are finished.

It has been a rocky road for the 24-year-old to say the least.  While he was a quality offensive player back in junior, it has failed to materialize into success at the professional level.  He has just 53 career NHL games under his belt where he has seven goals and 17 assists and after clearing waivers last year, he held out of reporting to the minors in the hopes of forcing a trade.  That didn’t occur and he eventually reported to the Sound Tigers before being flipped to San Antonio before the AHL trade deadline in a move that was believed to end his tenure with the Islanders.

Clearly that didn’t happen as the team tendered Ho-Sang a qualifying offer and avoided arbitration in late-October with a one-year, two-way deal worth $700K in the NHL and $225K in the minors.  With both sides agreeing already that it’s better for him to not be around the team, it’s hard to imagine there will be another contract for him with the Isles beyond this one.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/15/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad, and although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.  The last five bullets are all courtesy of CapFriendly’s transactions log.

  • The Nashville Predators have placed Luca Sbisa on the active roster after being claimed off waivers earlier this week. To make room, Cole Smith has been moved to the taxi squad. Smith made his NHL debut last night but received just six shifts and failed to record a point. Sbisa, who signed a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets in October, has more than 500 games of NHL experience.
  • As it is an off day for the Calgary Flames, the team has moved Derek Ryan to the taxi squad in order to continue banking some cap space. Louis Domingue has also been placed there, suggesting that David Rittich will return from his family emergency in time for tomorrow’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. Artyom Zagidulin, who had been recalled to the practice squad, has been reassigned back to the AHL.
  • As expected after the Winnipeg Jets claimed Anton Forsberg, the team has moved both Kristian Vesalainen and Logan Stanley to the taxi squad. The team must keep Forsberg on the active roster until he clears waivers, something that doesn’t seem possible at the moment with teams looking for goaltending depth.
  • The Canucks have recalled Loui Eriksson from the taxi squad and replaced him with Justin Bailey, the opposite of a move they made just yesterday. Though it may seem counterintuitive, keeping Eriksson on the active roster and Bailey on the taxi squad during off days actually saves the Canucks money. The team is already in LTIR relief meaning they can’t bank cap space and have to pay Eriksson his one-way NHL salary regardless of where he plays. Bailey on the other hand earns less on his two-way deal whenever he is assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.
  • The Bruins have made a trio of moves.  Forward Karson Kuhlman has been assigned to AHL Providence while wingers Jack Studnicka and Trent Frederic were both sent to the taxi squad.  Studnicka played just under 12 minutes in Boston’s season opener while Frederic saw just under 11 minutes of ice time.  Chances are at least one will be recalled on Saturday.
  • With Cory Schneider being moved onto the Islanders’ roster giving them three goalies, they don’t have to carry one on the taxi squad.  As a result, they’ve shifted Jakub Skarek to Bridgeport.  He is their only other goaltender that isn’t currently up with the Isles.  Defenseman Thomas Hickey has also been shifted to the taxi squad after being scratched for their opener.
  • The Sharks have shifted four players around.  Defensemen Nicolas Meloche and Nikolai Knyzhov were both sent to the taxi squad after serving as their third pairing in their opener.  Meanwhile, wingers Jeffrey Viel and Fredrik Handemark were both sent to AHL San Jose.  With five healthy blueliners on the roster, at least one of the blueliners will soon be recalled again.
  • The Maple Leafs recalled Alexander Barabanov from their taxi squad prior to tonight’s game against Ottawa.  Defenseman Mikko Lehtonen was sent to the taxi squad, making the swap a cap-neutral move as both players are receiving the maximum entry-level salary.
  • Tyler Johnson is back on the NHL roster after being recalled from the taxi squad, as is defenseman Luke Schenn and both are in their lineup against Chicago.  Meanwhile, blueliner Andreas Borgman was loaned to the taxi squad.  He cleared waivers back on Tuesday but had remained on the Lightning’s roster until now.

Islanders Finalize Contract With Cory Schneider

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After nearly three months of speculation, Cory Schneider has finalized his contract with the Islanders.  CapFriendly reports that the veteran has inked a one-year, one-way contract worth $700K.  They also report (Twitter link) that he has been designated as waivers non-roster status which means that he will be placed on waivers on Friday for the purpose of assignment to either their taxi squad or their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.

It was only a few years ago that Schneider was entrenched as the starting goalie for New Jersey.  He got off to a tremendous start after being acquired at the 2013 draft for the pick used to select Bo Horvat, notching a 2.14 GAA with a .924 SV% over his first three seasons.  However, after his performance slipped in 2016-17, his play completely went off the rails after that while he also dealt with lingering hip issues.  Last season, he actually had more appearances in the minors (14) than in the NHL (13) which led New Jersey to buy out the final two seasons of his contract, paying him $2MM per season over the next four years as a result.

With Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin set as the goaltending tandem for this season and the team not being in a position where they will be needing to shuffle players back and forth daily to bank cap space (since they’re using LTIR already), Schneider doesn’t have a path to playing time with the Isles in the near future.  But if an injury arises, he will likely be the first one recalled.  That’s quite the fall from grace after being one of the better goalies in the league only a few years ago but Schneider has at least now secured a contract at the very least.

Seven Players Clear Waivers

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Jan 14: All seven players have cleared waivers and can report to a taxi squad or the minor leagues.

Jan 13: The first day of the hockey season is upon us and waivers are still jam-packed. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Par Lindholm (BOS), Devin Shore (EDM), Dmytro Timashov (NYI), Boo Nieves (TBL), Craig Anderson (WSH), Rodrigo Abols (FLA), and Kevin Connauton (FLA) are on waivers today.

Of course, several of these players did not have official contracts filed before today, meaning they now do.

Washington Capitals reporter Mike Vogel tweets that the team has signed Anderson to a one-year deal after bringing him into camp on a professional tryout. The deal will carry an average annual value of $700K. He will report to the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers. The Capitals have already announced that the team will go with Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek to start the season, but Anderson certainly provides a lot of experience at the position if anything goes sideways. The 39-year-old goaltender has 648 games played in his long career and carries a save percentage of .913.

Shore and Nieves are both brand new signings that their teams announced, both two-way contracts worth around $700K. Nieves’ deal was announced yesterday by the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Edmonton Oilers announced Shore’s deal earlier this morning.

Timashov and Connauton were also both unsigned as of today, though it was clear that both had earned contracts already. The New York Islanders have been very coy with all of their training camp deals, while the Florida Panthers had kept Connauton with the group on a professional tryout. Their official contracts should be announced at some point today, given they are now on waivers.

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