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Taxi Squad

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/18/21

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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 recalled Cale Fleury from the AHL, sending Brandon Baddock down in his place. Fleury will join the team’s taxi squad after recording two points in his first three minor league games this season. The 22-year-old played in 41 games for Montreal last season but was pushed down the depth chart by a few new additions.
  • Matthew Peca has been recalled from the taxi squad to the Ottawa Senators and it’s a high-priced veteran that will be taking his place. Artem Anisimov is now on the taxi squad after clearing waivers earlier this month.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Ashton Sautner to the taxi squad, sending Jack Rathbone to the AHL in the process. The Canucks are back in action tomorrow night against the Winnipeg Jets.
  • The Calgary Flames sent Brett Ritchie and Oliver Kylington to the taxi squad while moving Byron Froese to the AHL, notes Ryan Pike of the Sporting News.  Froese has already been recalled back to the roster after the 4 PM CT deadline that determines whether the player counts against the cap that day.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Nic Petan and Joseph Woll from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, with the latter coming via an emergency roster exception recall with Frederik Andersen getting the night off.  Petan has an assist in four games this season.

Central Division

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/17/21

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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.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have moved Stefan Matteau to the taxi squad, though there has yet to be a corresponding call-up or activation. Matteau, 26, made his season debut on Monday and now has 74 NHL games under his belt.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Mathias Brome from the taxi squad as expected, with the team in action again tonight. Brome, an undrafted free agent who signed a one-year deal last spring, is still looking for his first NHL point.

East Division

North Division

  • The Calgary Flames have added three players to the roster, the team announced. Byron Froese and Oliver Kylington have been recalled from the taxi squad, while Brett Ritchie was recalled directly from the AHL Heat. Kylington and Ritchie have yet to suit up for the Flames this season, but are primed to get their first chance.

West Division

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Injury Updates: Johansen, Roy, Senators, Beauvillier

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While the Predators are likely disappointed with having to have two of their games postponed as a result of the rough weather in Dallas, it did allow them to avoid having to play those contests without one of their top forwards.  In an appearance on ESPN 102.5 (audio link), GM David Poile indicated that center Ryan Johansen is questionable for their upcoming pair of games in Columbus, signaling that the veteran wouldn’t have been available against the Stars.  The 28-year-old is averaging nearly 18 minutes a game so far this season (fourth-most among Nashville forwards) but is struggling offensively with just four assists although he has been one of the better players at the faceoff dot, winning over 56% of his draws.

Other injury news from around the league:

  • The Kings are welcoming back defenseman Matt Roy to the lineup tonight, relays Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider. The 25-year-old established himself as a top-four option for Los Angeles last season and was off to a decent start this season with three assists in eight games while averaging 18:35 per game before suffering an upper-body injury late last month.
  • The Senators will welcome back defenseman Erik Brannstrom for tomorrow’s game against Toronto, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). He suffered an undisclosed injury last week that has caused him to miss the last four games.  As for starting goaltender Matt Murray, he has recovered from his neck strain and will play in one of the two games in their back-to-back stretch.
  • The Islanders activated winger Anthony Beauvillier off IR in advance of their game tonight against Buffalo, notes Newsday’s Andrew Gross. The 23-year-old had missed the last nine games after sustaining a lower-body injury last month.  Leo Komarov, who recently cleared waivers again, was sent to the taxi squad to make room for Beauvillier on the active roster.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/16/21

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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 made a change to their taxi squad as they’ve recalled Cam Hillis from AHL Laval, sending down Hayden Verbeek, per the AHL’s transactions log.  Both players have shuffled between the taxi squad and the minors in recent days to ensure compliance with the minimum roster size of the taxi squad.

Central Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have moved Mathias Brome to the taxi squad today, like every other day this month. Brome (and usually Givani Smith with him) has continued to move back and forth on a daily basis in order for the Red Wings to save some cash and cap space. Smith was later sent from the taxi squad to the minor leagues with Evgeny Svechnikov coming up from Grand Rapids to take his place.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Ben Harpur from the taxi squad, moving Michael McCarron and Eeli Tolvanen down in his place. The Predators no longer have a game tonight after it was postponed due to inclement weather, meaning they can save some money by moving a couple of two-way contracts off the books.

East Division

This page will be further updated throughout the day.

Five Players Clear Waivers

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Despite some major names being available on the waiver wire over the past 24 hours, all five players have cleared. Montreal’s Paul Byron, Detroit’s Danny DeKeyser, and new Carolina acquisition Alex Galchenyuk were all waived for roster flexibility and will be reassigned to their respective taxi squads. Young Columbus defenseman Gabriel Carlsson has been reassigned to the taxi squad for now but will soon join the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters in order to get some play time. Boston’s Par Lindholm has signed a new contract with the SHL’s Skelleftea AIK and will see his NHL contract terminated. No new players have been placed on waivers today.

Of the group, the player who was quietly the most likely to be claimed was Carlsson. The big 24-year-old blue liner, a 2015 first-rounder, lost his waiver exemption this season and the Blue Jackets did not want to risk him on the wire earlier this season. However, through the first quarter of the campaign he has not seen any NHL game action sitting behind a deep Columbus defense corps. With the AHL season now up and running, the team opted to take the chance with Carlsson in order to get him some play time in the minors and it paid off. The stay-at-home defenseman has played in at least one game for Columbus in each of the past four seasons and will likely be back with the team at some point this year. However, the team will try to avoid another trip through waivers as they might not be so lucky a second time putting the sturdy and affordable defender back up for grabs.

Of course, the bigger names available were Byron, DeKeyser, and Galchenyuk. The Montreal Canadiens, short on cap space but not on forward talent, have been playing Byron in a checking role, making him an expensive fourth liner. The club had been trying to trade the veteran, but there were no takers on his contract despite his solid career numbers. The team hoped that Byron would clear waivers so that they could retain the player, who is absolutely still a serviceable top-nine forward, while also opening up some salary cap space by transitioning him to the taxi squad. Galchenyuk was in fact traded already and just on Saturday as a matter of fact. The skilled forward was dealt by the Ottawa Senators to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a three-player deal. Playing on an affordable and expiring contract, Galchenyuk was a risk-free acquisition for the ’Canes but was even more valuable if he could be stashed on the practice squad and used in case of emergency in a scoring role. Their plan succeeded and now Carolina simply has to decide whether the now-flexible Galchenyuk is worth more to them on their taxi squad or as a trade asset to flip to another team. The surprise inclusion was DeKeyser, one of the few holdovers of the most recent Detroit Red Wings’ powerhouse teams. DeKeyser has been in decline for several seasons now, but playing for a rebuilding club – especially with limited ice time this season – and dealing with injuries does not make for flattering statistics for anyone. A player who still has the support of his coaches and teammates may end up on the taxi squad but is likely to still be a prominent presence for the organization, especially with another year remaining on his current contract.

Lindholm was the outlier of the bunch. After clearing waivers earlier this season, the underutilized veteran was placed on the wire again to begin the process of a contract termination. Lindholm was not expected to be claimed and even if he had been, there still would have been a conflict with the multi-year contract he just recently signed in Sweden. Lindholm may actually be capable of being a reliable fourth line center in the NHL, but that opportunity was not available in Boston and seemingly nowhere else in the league at the current time, so the veteran will return home.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/15/21

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It’s the beginning of a new week in the NHL with ten games on the docket on Monday, including a matinee match-up between the Blues and Coyotes to cap off their in-season seven-game series. Teams continue to shake up their rosters with regularity this season, with promotions and demotions from the taxi squad to the NHL and AHL and everything in between. Keep track of all today’s moves right here as teams prepare for a fresh slate of games this week:

Central Division

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that prospect forward MacKenzie Entwistle has been reassigned to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Entwistle had yet to see any game action with Chicago yet this season, so a move to the minors will get him some much-needed playing time.  CapFriendly adds that Wyatt Kalnyuk and Reese Johnson were recalled from the taxi squad while Adam Boqvist was sent to the taxi squad.
  • As the Tampa Bay Lightning deal with the long-term absences of Anthony Cirelli and Mitchell Stephens, they have recalled reinforcements from the AHL. The team announced that Alex Barre-Boulet and Ross Colton have been recalled from the Syracuse Crunch and assigned to the taxi squad. Both forwards are still seeking their NHL debuts. Moving from the taxi squad down to the minors is goaltender Spencer Martin. CapFriendly adds that Callan Foote and Gemel Smith were also recalled from the taxi squad.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets took a chance by placing young defenseman Gabriel Carlsson on waivers. However, it paid off as he has cleared and can now get some much-needed playing time with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. For the time being, the team has announced that he has been shifted to the taxi squad while forward Stefan Matteau has been recalled to the active roster.
  • Nashville Predators defenseman Frederic Allard has finally returned from his loan to Austria’s Villacher SV. The Predators have reassigned him to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, Nashville’s temporary shared affiliate for this season.  The team also announced the recalls of Michael McCarron and Eeli Tolvanen from the taxi squad while returning Ben Harpur to the taxi squad.
  • As expected, Detroit defenseman Danny DeKeyser has been reassigned to the taxi squad after being a surprise inclusion on waivers yesterday. The club reportedly wants to keep the long-time Red Wing involved with the team but want to use their roster spots on other players. The first player recalled to get the opportunity to replace DeKeyser is forward Mathias Brome. 
  • With the Hurricanes back in action, they’ve recalled Alex Nedeljkovic from the taxi squad to serve as the backup goaltender, per CapFriendly.  Carolina also recalled defenseman Jake Bean from the taxi squad.
  • The Dallas Stars recalled wingers Joel Kiviranta and Joel L’Esperance from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Kiviranta was sent down just yesterday while L’Esperance has played in three NHL games this season.

East Division

  • With an influx of healthy players coming off the CPRA list, the New Jersey Devils have announced a flurry of moves. Goaltender Aaron Dell has been recalled from his conditioning loan and added to the active roster, finally joining the team after being claimed on waivers earlier this season. Goaltender Gilles Senn has thus been demoted from the taxi squad to AHL Binghamton, as has defenseman Josh Jacobs. Replacing them on the taxi squad for now are forwards Mikhail Maltsev and Brett Seney, recalled from the junior Devils. This will not be the last of the moves for a New Jersey, who have a roster overhaul on their hands after leading the league in COVID-related absences.
  • The Washington Capitals have flipped goaltenders, per CapFriendly.  Craig Anderson has been returned to the taxi squad while Zach Fucale has been recalled.  Ilya Samsonov is nearing a return so they won’t need to carry one of these two on the active roster for much longer.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forwards Maxim Sushko and David Kase from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. As Philly battles through an ongoing COVID breakout, they need all the help they can get with games scheduled for later this week.  CapFriendly adds that Connor Bunnaman has also been recalled.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have pushed a number of players up the depth chart as they prepare to return to action with several players still sidelined with COVID. Steven Fogarty, William Borgen, and Brandon Davidson have been recalled to the active roster from the taxi squad, while forwards Rasmus Asplund and Andrew Oglevie have been promoted to the AHL’s Rochester Americans to replace them on the taxi squad.
  • The Boston Bruins have assigned Trent Frederic to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 23-year-old has played in all 14 games this season but has frequently been sent down on non-game days to bank some cap room.
  • Oliver Wahlstrom is back up with the New York Islanders, per CapFriendly.  The winger has frequently been moved back and forth this season and has a goal in six games so far this season.

North Division

  • The Montreal Canadiens have sent veteran forward Michael Frolik to the AHL’s Laval Rocket for a conditioning stint. Frolik will spend the week in the minors and will be reassigned to the Montreal taxi squad on Saturday. The 32-year-old free agent addition has yet to play this season. Replacing Frolik on the taxi squad is Paul Byron, who cleared waivers today.  CapFriendly adds that Jesperi Kotkaniemi was recalled from the taxi squad while Hayden Verbeek was recalled to the taxi squad from AHL Laval.
  • After being promoted from the AHL to the taxi squad yesterday, Joey Daccord is now moving up again. The Ottawa Senators announced that he has been recalled to the active roster and will dress as the backup for the team’s game tonight. This would imply that the injured Matt Murray is still not ready to return to action.
  • Jansen Harkins has been activated from the injured reserve and has rejoined the Winnipeg Jets. The young forward is expected to draw back into the lineup immediately.
  • After clearing waivers on Saturday, James Neal has been reassigned to the taxi squad by the Edmonton Oilers. In a corresponding move, his roster spot will be taken by Devin Shore, who has been recalled from the taxi squad.
  • The Calgary Flames have recalled defenseman Connor Mackey from the taxi squad.  The blueliner has been shuffled back and forth in recent days and made his NHL debut over the weekend.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Travis Boyd from the taxi squad while activating Joe Thornton from LTIR, per CapFriendly.  To make room on the roster, Alexander Barabanov and Scott Sabourin were returned to the taxi squad.

West Division

  • With a number of players still sidelined due to COVID but a game coming up on Tuesday night, the Minnesota Wild have to make some moves. Fortunately for the team, some non-COVID players are also getting healthy just in time. The team has announced that defenseman Matt Dumba and forward Mats Zuccarello have been activated from the injured reserve. Additionally, goalie Andrew Hammond, forward Luke Johnson, and defenseman Dakota Mermis have been promoted to the active roster from the taxi squad. Taking their places, up from AHL Iowa, are goalie Dereck Baribeau and forwards Joseph Cramarossa and Mason Shaw. 
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have demoted forward Patrick Brown and goaltender Logan Thompson to the AHL’s newest team, the Henderson Silver Knights. Neither player appears to be in Vegas’ NHL roster plans this season but made a brief appearance on the taxi squad.
  • The Colorado Avalanche shuffled their reserve defenseman, per CapFriendly.  Dan Renouf has been recalled from the taxi squad while Dennis Gilbert goes down to make room.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have shuffled their goalie depth chart, per a team release. The re-claimed Troy Grosenick has been recalled from the AHL’s Ontario Reign and assigned to the taxi squad. He bumps young Jacob Ingham down to the minors. Either goalie would require an injury to the NHL tandem of veteran Jonathan Quick and future starter Cal Petersen in order to play at the top level this season.
  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled defenseman Jacob Middleton and winger Noah Gregor from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both players have been shuffled back and forth in recent days.
  • As they’ve done almost every day lately, the Anaheim Ducks made another lengthy set of moves, per CapFriendly.  The team recalled Sam Steel, Max Jones, and Andy Welinski from the taxi squad while demoting David Backes to the taxi squad.  Anaheim also promoted Chase De Leo from AHL San Diego to the taxi squad.
  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled Mackenzie MacEachern and Austin Poganski from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both were sent down yesterday.

Latest On The Hurricanes-Senators Trade

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Yesterday’s surprise trade that saw three impending free agents swapped, with Ryan Dzingel returning to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for role players Cedric Paquette and Alex Galchenyuk moving to the Carolina Hurricanes, provided more questions than answers. Speaking on Sportsnet’s broadcast of Hockey Night In Canada on Saturday, Chris Johnston tried to provide some explanation or at least some projection on what it could all mean. Johnston clarifies that the centerpiece of the deal is really Paquette, who is expected to stabilize the Hurricanes’ fourth line over the remainder of the season and very likely into the playoffs. As for Dzingel and Galchenyuk, he warned that they should not “get comfortable”. Not only are both, as well as Paquette, very likely heading to the open market this summer, but Dzingel and Galchenyuk could be on the move again before the end of the season.

Dzingel specifically is somewhat of a suspect acquisition for the Senators. Previously a two-time 20-goal and 40-point player for Ottawa, Dzingel’s stops in Columbus and Carolina since departing the Senators have been less than inspiring. In his final season with the Senators, Dzingel was scoring at a 63-point full season pace; in his 96 games since, Dzingel is scoring at a 38-point pace. Perhaps Senators GM Pierre Dorion feels that a return to Ottawa and to a top-six role for Dzingel can reignite his offensive prowess. The team needs scoring and Dzingel could be the solution. However, if Dzingel continues to struggle or, alternatively, if he succeeds but is unwilling to re-sign in Ottawa, the rebuilding Senators have no use for his expiring contract. They would would very likely put him back on the trade block and hope that they could recoup the trade capital they might have received for renting out Paquette and Galchenyuk. Considering he must quarantine for two weeks before joining the Senators in this shortened NHL season, Dorion and company will not have much time to make a determination on Dzingel, but still felt the calculated risk was worth the potential long-term payoff.

  • As for Galchenyuk, Johnston’s premonition that he could be on the move again could prove true far sooner than he likely expected. With Galchenyuk being placed on waivers today by Carolina, it could be that by tomorrow afternoon he has a new team for the second time in 48 hours. Of course, Galchenyuk is no stranger to frequent movement. After six seasons with the Montreal Canadiens to begin his career, he is now on his sixth team in four year and has been traded in-season in back-to-back years. Once a rising star in Montreal, Galchenyuk has been reduced to a one-dimensional hired gun goal-scorer due to his defensive struggles and many inconsistencies. Galchenyuk still has value as a substitute in case of a top-nine injury, but has not proven over the last year that he is worthy of being handed an everyday role. As a result, it is no surprise that a cap-strapped team like the Hurricanes would rather move Galchenyuk to the taxi squad, thereby burying his entire $1.05MM salary, and simply use him as depth down the stretch. There may very well be a team out there however who also likes the 27-year-old forward for that role and has the roster flexibility to claim him and keep him active. Even if he does clear waivers, that would only improve his value due to the added transactional flexibility and if the Hurricanes don’t like what they see, they could still flip him before the deadline.
  • Galchenyuk’s placement on waivers has also changed the travel plans for Carolina’s latest acquisitions. Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported on Saturday that Paquette and Galchenyuk planned to skip the required quarantine that accompanies commercial air travel by instead joining the Senators on their team flight to Toronto today and then making the 13-hour drive to Raleigh, potentially even in time for the Hurricanes’ Monday night home game. The new plan, as revealed by Carolina beat writer Michael Smith, is for Paquette to make the solo trek from Ottawa to Raleigh today, a similar 13-hour drive, again with the expectation that he will be available on Monday. Galchenyuk meanwhile will remain in Ottawa until waivers clear tomorrow. Not only did he not want to make the long trip only to be claimed by a different team, but he also did not want to leave the country in case he was claimed by another Canadian club. If Galchenyuk clears waivers and is assigned to the taxi squad, he will presumably then make the drive to Raleigh himself and would be available for the ’Canes as early as Wednesday.

Montreal Canadiens Waive Paul Byron

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In a move that was foreseeable yet is still somewhat surprising, the Montreal Canadiens have placed veteran forward Paul Byron on waivers. The team explicitly stated that their intention is for Byron to clear waivers and be assigned to the taxi squad, but that is out of their hands for the next 24 hours. The veteran forward could be claimed by a team who sees the upside in him if given the proper role and adequate ice time.

Given Montreal’s tight salary cap squeeze and the role that Byron has played this season to the tune of $3.4MM AAV, it is no surprise that the club sought a change. Byron has been forced into a checking role for the Habs as a result of a busy off-season and the emergence of several young players. His ice time is down to just 12:36 per night, a new low since he became an NHL regular in 2013-14, and he has no goals and just three assists in 14 games. The Canadiens could not afford to have a substantial amount of cap space chewed up by such production.

However, there is a reason that Montreal has been actively trying to trade Byron and is hoping that he clears waivers: the 31-year-old still has value. A versatile and hard-working forward, Byron may have meager numbers so far this year and had his production limited by injury last season, but he still has plenty of scoring potential. Byron is just two years removed from a 2018-19 season in which he recorded 31 points in just 56 games, a 45-point full-season pace. Had he played 82 games, it almost certainly would have been his third straight season of 20+ goals and 35+ points. While health is a concern, Byron has shown to be an effective forward otherwise. As Byron is signed through 2022-23 at a healthy cap hit, any team looking to claim him is surely taking a risk. For this reason, combined with the hassle for U.S. teams of moving any player from Canada to south of the border this season, Byron may very well go unclaimed. However, if a club still believes that a healthy Byron has that same 40+ point upside, then he could be a value as an experienced top-nine forward, even over the next several years.

Also on waivers today are Detroit’s Danny DeKeyser (link), Boston’s Par Lindholm (link), Columbus’ Gabriel Carlsson, and Carolina’s newly-acquired Alex Galchenyuk. Edmonton’s James Neal has cleared after being waived yesterday.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/14/21

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Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day, especially if you love roster transactions. With the implementation of the taxi squad this season as yet another layer to the recall and reassignment game, there has been nearly four times as many roster transactions so far this season as compared to a normal campaign. Keep track here of what is sure to be a day filled with moves:

Central Division

East Division

  • Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov is finally off the COVID Protocol list, but he has not seen any game action in nearly a month. Rather than throw him right into the fire against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, the Capitals have announced that Samsonov, still waiver-exempt, has been assigned to the AHL’s Hershey Bears to get some seasoning for the next several days. Vitek Vanecek, in line to make his tenth consecutive start, and veteran Craig Anderson will dress against the Penguins today.
  • The Penguins have their own issues in net, as the team announced that Maxime Lagace has been recalled from the taxi squad on an emergency basis and will back up Tristan Jarry today against the Capitals. There is no word on why Casey DeSmith is unavailable to dress.

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled goaltender Joey Daccord from AHL Belleville and assigned him to the taxi squad, the club announced. They have additionally reassigned goalie Filip Gustavsson to the taxi squad. The Senators have had to shuffle their netminders around with starter Matt Murray currently sidelined, but were fortunate to receive a strong performance from struggling backup Marcus Hogberg on Saturday. Both Daccord and Gustavsson on the taxi squad means that Murray may be ready to return to the active roster, but the team is prepared if he needs more time.
  • The 11-7 experiment appears to be over for now in Winnipeg. After suffering a loss to the Senators yesterday, the team has reassigned rookie defenseman Logan Stanley to the taxi squad and appear to be headed back to a standard lineup when they return to action.
  • The Calgary Flames have returned Connor Mackey to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 24-year-old played nearly 14 minutes yesterday in his NHL debut against Vancouver.
  • The Canadiens have sent Corey Perry and Jesperi Kotkaniemi to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Prospects Cam Hillis and Hayden Verbeek, who were up on the taxi squad to ensure the minimum size requirements were met, were returned to AHL Laval.
  • The Maple Leafs once again changed around their players at the end of their active roster.  CapFriendly reports that wingers Alexander Barabanov and Scott Sabourin were recalled from the taxi squad while center Travis Boyd and winger Nic Petan were sent to the taxi squad.

West Division

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/13/21

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There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. As CapFriendly observed, there have been over 2,200 transactions already this season when there are usually closer to around 600 at this point of the year.  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 Senators announced that they have recalled goaltender Filip Gustavsson from the taxi squad in a move that was anticipated with Matt Murray not being available tonight. Artem Anisimov – who cleared waivers earlier this week – was sent to the taxi squad to make room on the roster.
  • With Toronto’s AHL season set to get underway on Monday, the Maple Leafs shuffled around their taxi squad as they announced that they’ve sent defenseman Rasmus Sandin, winger Nicholas Robertson, and center Adam Brooks to the minors while recalling blueliner Martin Marincin and winger Scott Sabourin.
  • The Canadiens have recalled center Nick Suzuki from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Montreal sent him down on Friday to free up a bit of cap space but there was no doubt that the second-year player would be recalled for tonight’s game against Toronto.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced they have activated forward Jayce Hawryluk off of long-term injured reserve and have placed forward Justin Bailey onto injured reserve. Hawryluk, who signed with Vancouver this offseason, is now eligible to play after missing the first part of the season due to an undisclosed injury. Hawryluk played in 26 games between the Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators last season, scoring three goals and 10 points. Bailey has played three games for the Canucks with no points.
  • The Calgary Flames recalled defenseman Connor Mackey from the taxi squad, according to Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg. Mackey is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against Vancouver. Mackey spent the past three years at Minnesota State – Mankato. CapFriendly reports the team also swapped out forwards, recalling Byron Froese from the taxi squad, while sending Brett Ritchie back to the taxi squad.

West Division

  • The Wild announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Matt Bartkowski from the taxi squad and promoted blueliner Louis Belpedio from AHL Iowa to the taxi squad to fill Bartkowski’s vacancy. Bartkowski has played in 255 career NHL games but hasn’t played in a regular season game since 2018-19 though he suited up once in the bubble last summer.
  • The Golden Knights announced a pair of taxi squad recalls.  Joining the group from AHL Henderson are winger Patrick Brown and goaltender Logan Thompson.  Thompson’s recall is notable in that it suggests Oscar Dansk will be brought up to the NHL roster again which means Robin Lehner is likely unavailable today against San Jose.
  • The Winnipeg Jets announced they have recalled forward Kristian Vesalainen, who is expected to fill in for injured center Pierre-Luc Dubois who is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury and is out for today’s game.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have swapped out prospect goaltenders. CapFriendly reports that the team has recalled Lukas Dostal from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL and put him on the practice squad, while reversing a similar transaction for Olle Eriksson Ek.

East Division

  • The Capitals announced that they’ve promoted goaltender Pheonix Copley to the taxi squad from AHL Hershey. Ilya Samsonov is still working his way back from COVID-19 so the move gives Washington a bit of insurance for the time being.
  • The Sabres have shuffled up their taxi squad, announcing that they have recalled defenseman Jacob Bryson plus forwards C.J. Smith and Steven Fogarty while assigning Dustin Tokarski to AHL Rochester.
  • The Devils’ farm team in Binghamton announced a series of transactions.  Defenseman Kevin Bahl plus wingers Nolan Foote and Mikhail Maltsev were all sent from the taxi squad to the AHL while goaltender Gilles Senn was recalled to the taxi squad.  The last move paved the way for New Jersey to loan Aaron Dell to Binghamton on a conditioning stint.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Boston Bruins have assigned forward Karson Kuhlman to the taxi squad. Kuhlman was recalled Friday on an emergency loan, but wasn’t needed for Saturday’s game.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes

Central Division

  • The Hurricanes announced that Alex Nedeljkovic will get the start tonight which means he has been recalled from the taxi squad.  The 25-year-old will make his second start of the season as he serves as Carolina’s backup with Petr Mrazek recovering from thumb surgery.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forward Mathias Brome from the taxi squad. The 26-year-old has appeared in 13 games for the Red Wings, but have yet to register his first NHL point.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Mikael Hakkarainen from the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL to the team’s taxi squad, according to NHL.com’s Brandon Cain. The transaction was likely to fill the minimum roster spots needed on the taxi squad.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

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