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Taxi Squad

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/03/21

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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:

East Division

  • The Sabres have recalled Brandon Davidson and C.J. Smith from AHL Rochester to the taxi squad, per a team release. The two were sent down yesterday to get some playing time but won’t be getting into the second half of the back-to-back after all.
  • The Penguins announced that they have recalled Justin Almeida and Will Reilly to the taxi squad from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while sending Radim Zohorna to the minors. Zohorna played twice last week on the fourth line but will undoubtedly see more playing time with this assignment.  Later in the day, they also announced that Maxime Lagace was recalled to the taxi squad from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
  • The Flyers are bringing back Shayne Gostisbehere as they announced that they’ve recalled the defenseman along with Tanner Laczynski from the taxi squad.  Gostisbehere cleared waivers on Wednesday while Laczynski has six goals and four assists in 14 games with AHL Lehigh Valley this season.

Central Division

North Division

  • The Oilers announced that they have loaned Theodor Lennstrom to AHL Bakersfield from the taxi squad. The defenseman signed a one-year entry-level deal last April after a good showing in Sweden but has yet to play with Edmonton and has suited up just seven times so far with the Condors.
  • The Canadiens have returned Cole Caufield to AHL Laval, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 20-year-old signed last weekend and is still going through his mandatory quarantine period but was recalled in a paper move yesterday to keep Montreal’s taxi squad at the minimum number of players.

West Division

 

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Evgeny Svechnikov Clears Waivers

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Saturday: Svechnikov has cleared waivers, Friedman reports.

Friday: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Detroit Red Wings have placed Evgeny Svechnikov on waivers for the second time this season after the young forward cleared in early January. Now that he has played 10 games for the Red Wings this season, he needed to clear waivers again to be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

Svechnikov, 24, has never developed into the top-six power forward that Detroit hoped for when they selected him 19th overall in 2015. His younger brother Andrei Svechnikov has reached those heights in Carolina, but the Red Wings forward has instead toiled at the minor league level for almost all of his professional career. In 30 NHL games, Svechnikov has nine points, five of those coming this season. Even in the minor leagues though things haven’t gone smoothly, with Svechnikov only recording 60 points in 112 AHL games since the start of 2017-18.

Of course, part of the reason why that number is so low is the entire season he missed in 2018-19 after suffering a major knee injury. While that can’t be completely blamed for his stalled development, it certainly didn’t help things.

There have been flashes of potential this season, but Svechnikov doesn’t appear to really be in the long-term plans for the Red Wings. His one-year contract will expire at the end of this season and leaves him a restricted free agent again. Should a team want to claim him now, he’d have to remain on their NHL roster until clearing waivers in the future.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/02/21

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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

North Division

  • The Montreal Canadiens have sent Laurent Dauphin and Xavier Ouellet to AHL Laval to get them into a game after spending most of the last couple of weeks on their taxi squad.  Cole Caufield and Lukas Vejdemo were recalled in corresponding moves to keep the tax squad at four players; Caufield is currently ineligible while quarantining while Vejdemo is injured.
  • The Ottawa Senators have made several roster moves. Artem Anisimov has been recalled from the taxi squad with Clark Bishop and Alex Formenton going from Ottawa to the taxi squad. Additionally, Logan Shaw and Olle Alsing were recalled from AHL Belleville to the taxi squad.
  • After clearing waivers, the Edmonton Oilers assigned Tyler Ennis to the taxi squad.  Additionally, Alex Stalock was activated from IR, giving them three goalies on the active roster which allowed them to send Dylan Wells from the taxi squad back to the minors.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Alex Galchenyuk from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Timothy Liljegren was moved back to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.  Galchenyuk has three assists in six games so far with Toronto.

Central Division

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/01/21

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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

North Division

Central Division

  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Tyler Lewington to the taxi squad from the AHL, sending Frederic Allard back to the Chicago Wolves in the process. Lewington, 26, played six games for the Capitals last season but hasn’t seen the NHL this year.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have moved Max McCormick to the AHL, removing him from the taxi squad for the time being. The 28-year-old has played two games for the Hurricanes this season after scoring 35 points in 56 games for their AHL affiliate last year.
  • Dallas has made their daily forward shuffle. The Stars announced that Ty Dellandrea and Justin Dowling have been activated from the taxi squad.

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/31/21

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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

North Division

  • The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Tyler Graovac from the taxi squad, giving them another forward option as Adam Gaudette remains in the COVID protocol. Graovac has played two games for the Canucks this season but is still looking for his first point.
  • After signing his entry-level deal yesterday, Yan Kuznetsov has been sent to the minors by the Calgary Flames per CapFriendly. The 19-year-old defenseman had six assists in his sophomore season with Connecticut before turning pro.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Alex Galchenyuk from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, with Timothy Liljegren being sent down to the taxi squad.  Galchenyuk has three assists in five games with Toronto since being recalled earlier this month.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned Cam Johnson back to the taxi squad after recalling him yesterday under emergency conditions. Columbus didn’t end up needing him, getting a 37-save performance from Elvis Merzlikins instead. Johnson is really just a practice goaltender at this point and hasn’t even seen the AHL since the 2018-19 season.
  • As usual on off days, the Detroit Red Wings have moved a few players to the taxi squad. Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov, and Frans Nielsen are all off the active roster for now, but it won’t be a surprise when several (if not all three) are recalled again tomorrow.
  • Ty Dellandrea and Justin Dowling have been moved to the Dallas Stars taxi squad after today after the former played for the team last night. The Stars are off after their overtime loss to the Predators and now sit at 11-12-10 on the season.
  • The Florida Panthers have promoted Brady Keeper to the taxi squad. The blueliner has two goals and an assist in nine games this season with AHL Syracuse.
  • The Nashville Predators have sent Mathieu Olivier back to the taxi squad. The forward has played in 25 games this season and with them having so many injuries, he’ll likely be recalled for tomorrow’s game against Dallas.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Luke Schenn to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The veteran has played in 20 games so far this season, logging just over ten minutes per game on Tampa Bay’s back end.

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

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.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/29/21

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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

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have assigned Clark Bishop to the taxi squad after playing the last several games. Bishop recorded his third point of the season on March 25 in the team’s last game, though still received fewer than nine minutes of ice time, a threshold he has yet to break this season.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Martin Marincin and Calle Rosen to the taxi squad, while sending Mac Hollowell, Timothy Liljegren, and Scott Sabourin back to the AHL. The young Hollowell is an interesting prospect for Toronto that they want to keep playing; he has five points in 16 games for the Toronto Marlies this season.

Central Division

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Trade Rumors: Pearson, Hamonic, Andersen, Canadiens

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The Tanner Pearson saga in Vancouver has been full of twists and turns and the ride isn’t over just yet. Early this month, reports emerged that the Canucks preferred to re-sign rather than trade the impending free agent Pearson. The two-way forward excelled in Vancouver last season and GM Jim Benning and company seemed more interested in keeping him around rather than shipping him off, even as arguably their most valuable rental chip. However, at the time contract talks had not yet occurred and this led to the assumption that the Canucks would have to move Pearson if terms of an extension could not be reached before the trade deadline. Two weeks later, it seemed the decision had been taken from the Canucks. Pearson suffered a lower-body injury and was given a four-week timeline for his recovery, meaning he would be injured through the deadline and much more difficult to trade, if not impossible in a quiet, cap-strapped market. The only silver lining was that perhaps the two sides would be more amenable to an extension with Pearson missing considerable time in his already-shortened contract year. Now, everything has changed yet again. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that Pearson is already preparing to resume skating and is expected to return to action ahead of the deadline. After receiving a second opinion on his injury, Pearson’s timeline was moved up and could return to his status as a viable deadline acquisition. As for the possibility of an extension instead? Johnston states that the two sides still  have not had any contract talks and he believes that the Canucks will have no choice but to trade a soon-to-be healthy Pearson before the deadline if no contract terms are in place. Time is running out to keep the extension option open, as the deadline is now just two weeks away.

  • One player who definitely won’t be leaving Vancouver: Travis Hamonic. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Carolina Hurricanes have been seeking a veteran, stay-at-home right-handed defenseman and inquired about Hamonic. They were told that he is not available. The Canucks signed Hamonic just before the season started to a one-year, short-money deal, but the key piece of the contract for the respected vet was a full No-Movement Clause. Hamonic wants to stay at home in western Canada and is not expected to waive his NMC. Perhaps an offer from the Edmonton Oilers is the only chance that Hamonic is on the move before the deadline.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs’ situation in net is certainly murky right now, but Friedman did his best to provide some clarity. He reports that starter Frederik Andersen is not currently participating in any on-ice work. Instead, he is undergoing “different evaluations” on his nagging lower-body injury and is sidelined indefinitely. Yet, Friedman also notes that Toronto is not actively searching the trade market for another goaltender either. Jack Campbell has played well since returning from his own injury, Michael Hutchinson has been stellar when forced into action this season as well, and the team just recently added some more net depth via trade in Veini Vehvilainen. The Leafs seem content to roll with this trio for now in anticipation of Andersen eventually returning to action. With limited cap room, the team can ill-afford to add another netminder that they may not need. Unless Andersen lands on Long-Term Injured Reserve, expect the Maple Leafs to stand pat in net.
  • After adding Eric Staal, even at a surprisingly affordable cost, the Montreal Canadiens may be done dealing. GM Marc Bergevin told the media that he is not looking to open up cap space for any further moves, limiting Montreal’s ability to make another addition. With Staal on the roster, the Habs’ deadline cap space is currently projected to be around $2.25MM. However, that number is inflated due to Paul Byron’s current taxi squad status. As Byron spends game days on the NHL roster and only off days on the taxi squad, his $3.4MM cap hit will chip away at that space, likely leaving the Candiens with closer to $1.75MM at best by the deadline. Bergevin noted that “anything is possible” but unless faced with a hockey trade that he cannot pass up, Montreal is limited to adding only a minor salary to the roster without reversing course on the decision not to seek options to create more cap space.

 

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.

Anton Stralman Clears Waivers

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Saturday: As expected, Stralman has cleared waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.

Friday: The Florida Panthers are in a position to compete for the Stanley Cup, and now may be trying to clear a little cap room for the stretch run. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the team has placed Anton Stralman on waivers today. The veteran defenseman carries a $5.5MM cap hit through the 2021-22 season, $1.075MM of which can be buried if placed on the taxi squad.

Because of that contract, exposing Stralman to the rest of the league comes with virtually no risk. There aren’t any teams out there looking to bring in that much money for a veteran nearing the end of his career, even if Stralman does have plenty of playoff experience. In fact, even the Panthers aren’t playing him every night, and when they do he is receiving fewer and fewer minutes. After averaging more than 20 minutes in each of the last six seasons, Stralman has only cracked 18 once since the start of March. Last night in a 3-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, he played just 14:18.

The simple fact is that the Panthers have better options than the 34-year-old at this point and could even be potentially looking to bring more in at the deadline. The team recently sent Noah Juulsen to the AHL on a conditioning loan, meaning he is nearly back from injury, and there are other names more deserving of the nightly ice time.

Still, waiving Stralman doesn’t mean they’re cutting him. Once he clears, the team will be able to move him back and forth from the taxi squad between games to bank additional cap space while still using him whenever necessary. There’s also the chance another team could be interested if the Panthers retain salary, especially should he clear waivers.

It’s been a great career for the veteran defenseman, even if it is approaching the end. The 216th-overall pick in 2005 by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Stralman proved everyone wrong when he reached the NHL as a regular just a few years later. Now, after 847 regular season games and 108 more postseason contests, he may be shifting to a part-time role with the contending Panthers.

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