Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/14/21
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 news each day.
- The Vancouver Canucks have sent Loui Eriksson to the taxi squad and recalled Justin Bailey. Given Eriksson didn’t play last night for the Canucks this doesn’t come as much of a surprise and it will allow the team to bank slightly more daily cap space. Eriksson previously cleared waivers and could also be assigned to the AHL once it gets started.
- Stuart Skinner has been recalled from the Edmonton Oilers taxi squad under emergency conditions, giving the team an extra goaltender for tonight’s action. Evan Bouchard meanwhile has been sent to the taxi squad, while Tyler Benson, who had previously been there, has now been assigned to the AHL.
- Staying in Western Canada, the Calgary Flames have activated Derek Ryan from the taxi squad as expected, but he’s coming with some company. The team has also activated Louis Domingue who will serve as backup this evening while David Rittich deals with a family issue. With the extra space, Artyom Zagidulin has been added to the taxi squad from the AHL roster.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Cole Smith from the taxi squad while sending Lukas Craggs to the AHL. Craggs already played in eight games for the Florida Everblades, recording nine points early in the season but will now compete for playing time with the Chicago Wolves. Smith, who also played a handful of games for the Everblades to start the year, is in his first season of professional hockey after being signed out of the University of North Dakota.
- The Winnipeg Jets have brought up a pair of players as Mathieu Perreault and Logan Stanley were recalled from the taxi squad. Perreault cleared waivers earlier in the week so they will have the ability to shuffle him back and forth until he plays in 10 NHL games or is on the NHL roster for 30 days. Stanley, meanwhile, was a first-round pick back in 2016 but has yet to suit up with the Jets. Winnipeg also recalled defenseman Leon Gawanke from his loan to Berlin of the DEL.
- The Montreal Canadiens assigned Jake Evans to the taxi squad. He played a little under nine minutes in last night’s season-opener but with them off until the weekend, they’ll shuffle him down and bank a little bit of cap space. The team has already announced its intent to recall him for their next game on Saturday.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/27/19
We’re getting closer and closer to the start of the regular season and teams are making their final cuts. We’ll keep track of them right here. Keep checking back throughout the day as this page will be updated regularly.
Arizona Coyotes (per team release)
F Lane Pederson (to Tucson, AHL)
D Jordan Gross (to Tucson, AHL)
D Kyle Capobianco (to Tucson, AHL)
Dallas Stars (per team release)
F Nicholas Caamano (to Texas, AHL)
F Rhett Gardner (to Texas, AHL)
F Jason Robertson (to Texas, AHL)
D Thomas Harley (to Mississauga, OHL)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
G Kaden Fulcher (to Toledo, ECHL)
F Matthew Ford (released from PTO)
F Josh Kestner (released from PTO)
F Troy Loggins (released from ATO)
F Tyler Spezia (released from PTO)
D Marcus Crawford (released from PTO)
D Charle-Edouard D’Astous (released from ATO)
D Alec McCrea (released from ATO)
G Pat Nagle (released from PTO)
Los Angeles Kings (per team release)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (to Ontario, AHL)
F Rasmus Kupari (to Ontario, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (per team release)
F Nathan Bastian (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Michael McLeod (to Binghamton, AHL)
New York Rangers (per team release)
F Steven Fogarty (to Hartford, AHL)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
F Gerry Mayhew (to Iowa, AHL)
F Nico Sturm (to Iowa, AHL)
F Drew Stafford (released from PTO)
Vancouver Canucks (per team release)
F Zack MacEwen (to Utica, AHL)
D Jalen Chatfield (to Utica, AHL)
F Tyler Graovac (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
G Richard Bachman (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
Winnipeg Jets (per team release)
F Andrei Chibisov (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Michael Spacek (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Vesalainen (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Logan Stanley (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Cameron Schilling (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars Recall “Black Aces”
In sports, there is a nickname for everything. Today one of those names is being used in both Dallas and Winnipeg, as the Stars and Jets have recalled their “Black Aces.” This is a group of players from the minor and junior leagues that will come up to practice during and experience the NHL playoffs, without much of a chance to actually get into game action. It gives them a perspective on life at the highest level, while also allowing for time with NHL skills coaches. This time is often be called invaluable for young players, who get a taste of what it will take to get to and succeed at the NHL level.
Since the Texas Stars and Manitoba Moose both failed to qualify for the AHL playoffs, Dallas and Winnipeg have called up a large group of players. For Dallas, that group is as follows:
F Denis Gurianov
F Joel L’Esperance
F Nick Caamano
F Adam Mascherin
D Gavin Bayreuther
D Dillon Heatherington
D Joel Hanley
Among the group are several familiar names that have spent time at the NHL level, but Mascherin may be the most interesting member. Originally selected by the Florida Panthers in the second round (38th overall) of the 2016 draft, the scoring winger decided not to sign. He was subsequently drafted by the Stars in the fourth round (100th) last June, and started his professional career this season. It went pretty well, as Mascherin recorded 18 goals and 44 points in 75 games for Texas and actually tied for the team lead in +/- with a +10 rating.
For the Jets, the group will be made up of:
F Kristian Vesalainen
F Logan Shaw
F Marko Dano
F Mason Appleton
D Cameron Schilling
D Logan Stanley
Again there are several names that have already made their NHL debuts, including Vesalainen who notably forced a short recall before exercising his European Assignment Clause to play in the KHL this season. The 19-year old is a big part of the future for the Jets but will need to find some stability in his development moving forward.
There is always a chance that a few of these players could be forced into action due to injury or poor play from someone on the NHL roster, but more likely they’ll spend the next few weeks soaking in a playoff run from the outside.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/02/18
At 4pm today every team in the league must submit their final roster of 23 players, meaning several around the league still have a few final cuts to make before the season begins. As always, we’ll keep track of all those moves right here:
Anaheim Ducks (per team Twitter update)
F Joseph Blandisi (to San Diego, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to San Diego, AHL)
Calgary Flames (per team release)
F Andrew Mangiapane (to Stockton, AHL)
F Anthony Peluso (to Stockton, AHL)
D Rasmus Andersson (to Stockton, AHL)
G Jon Gillies (to Stockton, AHL)
Colorado Avalanche (per team release)
F Logan O’Connor (to Colorado, AHL)
D David Warsofsky (to Colorado, AHL)
D Mark Alt (to Colorado, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)
F Alex Broadhurst (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Matiss Kivlenieks (to Cleveland, AHL)
Dallas Stars (per team release)
F Justin Dowling (to Texas, AHL)
D Gavin Bayreuther (to Texas, AHL)
D Joel Hanley (to Texas, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
F/D Luke Witkowski (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Joe Hicketts (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Filip Hronek (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
D Ethan Bear (to Bakersfield, AHL) – Immediately recalled after Andrej Sekera was placed on long-term injured reserve.
Los Angeles Kings (per team release)
F Emerson Etem (released from PTO)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
D Ryan Murphy (to Iowa, AHL)
F Matt Read (to Iowa, AHL)
New York Islanders (per team release)
F Jan Kovar (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Devon Toews (to Bridgeport, AHL)
Ottawa Senators (per team release)
D Christian Jaros (to Belleville, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)
F Taylor Leier (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
San Jose Sharks (per team release)
F Dylan Gambrell (to San Jose, AHL)
F Lukas Radil (to San Jose, AHL)
G Antoine Bibeau (to San Jose, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (per team release)
F Chris Thorburn (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Zachary Sanford (to San Antonio, AHL)
D Jake Walman (to San Antonio, AHL)
G Ville Husso (to San Antonio, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)
F Daniel Carr (to Chicago, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (to Chicago, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
D Jonas Siegenthaler (to Hershey, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets (per team release)
D Logan Stanley (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Tucker Poolman (to Manitoba, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets Recall 13 Players From AHL
Now that the Manitoba Moose have been eliminated from the AHL playoffs, the Winnipeg Jets have recalled their “Black Aces.” These players are unlikely to get into the playoff lineup, but will skate with the team and experience what it’s like to go through an NHL postseason. The team has recalled:
F Mason Appleton
F Chase De Leo
F Jansen Harkins
F Brendan Lemieux
F J.C. Lipon
F Nic Petan
F Michael Spacek
D Julian Melchiori
D Jan Kostalek
D Sami Niku
D Nelson Nogier
D Logan Stanley
Of special note is Stanley, who spent this season with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. The behemoth defenseman joined the Moose just recently, but didn’t get into a game with them. He’ll get a chance to see what his future holds, as Stanley is expected to make it to the NHL within the next few seasons. The first-round pick had an outstanding season after battling injury in 2016-17, and should be a fixture on the Moose blue line next year.
Many of the other players called up already have experience at the NHL level, including Niku who made his debut this season. The seventh-round pick won the AHL Defenseman of the Year award as a rookie, after putting up 54 points in 76 games. The Jets, who already have one of the deepest defense corps in the league, are well stocked for the future.
Logan Stanley Joins Manitoba Moose For AHL Playoffs
As if the Winnipeg Jets didn’t have enough talent in the system, Logan Stanley has been reassigned to the Manitoba Moose a week after his Kitchener Rangers were eliminated from the OHL playoffs. Stanley will join the Moose during their Calder Cup run, which has hit a snag against the Rockford IceHogs in the second round. Manitoba is down 0-2 in the series, which continues Wednesday evening.
Manitoba already has Sami Niku, the 21-year old seventh-round pick fresh off being named the AHL Defenseman of the Year, but will add another immensely talented blueliner for their playoff run. The 19-year old Stanley is a bit different than many of his contemporaries, standing 6’7″ 231-lbs and armed with a bomb of a shot. The monstrous defender put up 42 points in 61 games this season for the Rangers, adding another 16 in 19 playoff contests.
Stanley isn’t just big, he’s talented with the puck on his stick and can move it quickly to forwards up the ice. Selected in the first-round of the 2016 draft, he dealt with plenty of injuries last season but seemed to take a big step forward this year. Though he likely won’t be manning the Winnipeg blue line any time soon, there is obvious NHL upside in his play and even his floor should be good enough to be an asset on the penalty kill. We’ll see if he gets into any AHL games for the Moose as they basically are in do-or-die situations for the rest of the series.
Team Canada’s First Cuts Include Cody Glass
TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweets that Vegas Golden Knights center Cody Glass has been cut from Canada’s World Junior team, along with Detroit Red Wings prospect Dennis Cholowski and Vancouver’s Kole Lind. Glass’ departure is somewhat of a surprise, if social media reactions are any indication. While they weren’t the only cuts today, they were two that certainly caught a lot of analysts off guard.
TSN projected Glass to be on the final roster back in August so the move is worthy of a double take. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler tweets that Glass and Lind are second and third respectively in scoring for the WHL. Though the talent is hardly lacking for Canada, cutting two prominent scorers will get some attention. In addition to the aforementioned players, forward Jonathan Ang, and defenseman Logan Stanley were both cut loose.
To recap:
Canada Cuts:
F Cody Glass (Vegas Golden Knights)
F Kole Lind (Vancouver Canucks)
F Jonathan Ang (Florida Panthers)
D Dennis Cholowski (Detroit Red Wings)
D Logan Stanley (Winnipeg Jets)
G Samuel Harvey (2018 Draft Eligible)
Hockey Canada Announces Preliminary World Junior Roster
Like USA Hockey did yesterday, Hockey Canada has announced their preliminary World Junior Championship roster for the upcoming tournament in Buffalo, NY. The Canadian selection camp will have 32 players in it, but will have to whittle it down before the tournament begins. That group could potentially get a bonus should someone like Nolan Patrick or Victor Mete be sent back from their NHL squads in the next few weeks. The tournament officially begins on December 26th.
The roster is as follows:
G Carter Hart (PHI)
G Michael DiPietro (VAN)
G Colton Point (DAL)
G Samuel Harvey (2018 draft eligible)
D Kale Clague (LAK)
D Cale Makar (COL)
D Dante Fabbro (NSH)
D Jake Bean (CAR)
D Connor Timmins (COL)
D Logan Stanley (WPG)
D Cal Foote (TBL)
D Josh Mahura (ANA)
D Dennis Cholowski (DET)
D Mario Ferraro (SJS)
F Sam Steel (ANA)
F Michael McLeod (NJD)
F Jordan Kyrou (STL)
F Robert Thomas (STL)
F Dillon Dube (CGY)
F Brett Howden (TBL)
F Boris Katchouk (TBL)
F Nick Suzuki (VGK)
F Max Comtois (ANA)
F Alex Formenton (OTT)
F Jonathan Ang (FLA)
F Drake Batherson (OTT)
F Jonah Gadjovich (VAN)
F Cody Glass (VGK)
F Tanner Kaspick (STL)
F Kole Lind (VAN)
F Taylor Raddysh (TBL)
F Tyler Steenbergen (ARI)
The biggest surprises for Team Canada may be in the exclusions. Owen Tippett (FLA), Cliff Pu (BUF), Michael Rasmussen (DET), Adam Mascherin (FLA) and others were all expected to at least receive an invitation to the selection camp, but they will have to watch as their countrymen battle it out for the final spots.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/24/17
The more than fifty cuts made from training camps around the league yesterday was only the beginning. Weekend or not, expect the announcements to keep flooding in, and we’ll keep track of it all right here:
Arizona Coyotes
F Michael Bunting – Tucson (AHL)
D Kyle Capobianco – Tucson (AHL)
F Conor Garland – Tucson (AHL)
D Joel Hanley – Tucson (AHL)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Charlottetown (QMJHL)
F Jens Looke – Tucson (AHL)
D Dysin Mayo – Tucson (AHL)
F Lane Pederson – Tucson (AHL)
F Mike Sislo – Tucson (AHL)
D Jalen Smereck – Tucson (AHL)
D Tyson Strachan – released from PTO
Boston Bruins
D Christopher Breen – Providence (AHL)
D Connor Clifton – Providence (AHL)
D Taylor Doherty – Providence (AHL)
F Zachary Senyshyn – Providence (AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes
F Patrick Brown – Charlotte (AHL)
F Julien Gauthier – Charlotte (AHL)
D Brenden Kichton – Charlotte (AHL)
D Roland McKeown – Charlotte (AHL)
F Andrew Miller – Charlotte (AHL)
D Dennis Robertson – Charlotte (AHL)
D Philip Samuelsson – Charlotte (AHL)
Dallas Stars
D Gavin Bayreuther – Texas (AHL)
G Landon Bow – Texas (AHL)
G Philippe Desrosiers – Texas (AHL)
F Sheldon Dries – Released from ATO
F Max French – Released from ATO
F Austin Fyten – Released from PTO
D Shane Hanna – Released from ATO
D Niklas Hansson – Texas (AHL)
D Dillon Heatherington – Texas (AHL)
F Samuel Laberge – Released from ATO
D Matt Mangene – Released from PTO
F Colin Markison – Released from PTO
F Cole Ully – Texas (AHL)
Edmonton Oilers
F Mitch Callahan – Bakerfield (AHL)
F Grayson Downing – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Caleb Jones – Bakersfield (AHL)
F Joey Laleggia – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Keegan Lowe – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Ryan Mantha – Bakersfield (AHL)
Montreal Canadiens
F Daniel Audette – Laval (AHL)
F David Broll – Laval (AHL)
G Zachary Fucale – Laval (AHL)
F Jeremy Gregoire – Laval (AHL)
D Brett Lernout – Laval (AHL)
F Martin Reway – Laval (AHL)
F Nikita Scherbak – Laval (AHL)
Early Notes: Gretzky, Heatley, Stanley
Twenty-nine years ago today Wayne Gretzky was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings in a deal that would change the fate of hockey in Southern California. All of a sudden the greatest player of all time was playing in a non-traditional hockey market. NHL.com’s Lisa Dillman chronicles the trade, and how Gretzky was feeling at the time.
When looking back at the deal, many fans remember the $15MM price tag paid by the Kings and equate the deal to a purchase from the less-wealthy Oilers franchise. But there were other parts that should be remembered. Los Angeles also traded Jimmy Carson, a 20-year old former second-overall pick who was coming off a 55-goal, 107-point season, Martin Gelinas the seventh-overall pick from just a few months earlier, and three additional first-round picks. That’s in addition to the $15MM, while the Oilers also sent Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski south along with Gretzky. It was lopsided for sure because of Gretzky’s greatness, but the return shouldn’t be minimized. It was likely the biggest trade that will ever happen in the NHL.
- According to CTV News in Calgary, former NHL star Dany Heatley has won a court decision over his former agent for losing a large part of his career earnings, given a judgement of just over $6.5MM. Apparently Heatley won a similar court case in the past and was never paid, so it is still to be seen whether he actually gets it. Chris Phillips, Heatley’s former Ottawa Senators teammate who used the same agent also sued in the past and was given a judgement of over $7MM, though was only paid a fraction of the settlement.
- Winnipeg Jets’ prospect Logan Stanley was traded from the Windsor Spitfires to the Kitchener Rangers yesterday for a package of picks. The huge defender was selected 18th-overall in 2016 and won a Memorial Cup after coming back from injury just in time to compete in the tournament this spring. Windsor, with the hosting duties behind them and several players graduating to the NHL will look to rebuild their franchise and try to time a championship winning group a few years down the line.
- The Washington Capitals will be playing their home games in the Capital One Center this season, as Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post reports. The Verizon Center’s naming rights were up at the end of 2018, but will change a year early.