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Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/04/21

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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

  • After Braydon Coburn cleared waivers, the Ottawa Senators flipped him down to the taxi squad and brought up Erik Brannstrom. The 21-year-old Brannstrom played 31 games for the Senators last season and is expected to make his debut tonight against the Montreal Canadiens.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have sent Loui Eriksson to the taxi squad while activating Justin Bailey. It is cheaper for the team to keep Bailey on the taxi squad whenever the team isn’t playing, given his two-way deal earns less money when off the active roster. Eriksson hasn’t played yet this season but continues to be the team’s highest-paid forward.

West Division

  • The Los Angeles Kings have made several moves again today, recalling Tobias Bjornfot and Boko Imama from the minor leagues to the taxi squad. Arthur Kaliyev has been sent back to the AHL, despite scoring in his NHL debut two nights ago. The Kings are traveling to Vegas to take on the Golden Knights twice in the next three days.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Michael Chaput from the taxi squad, moving Jordan Gross down in the process. With Ilya Lyubushkin back in the lineup, Gross can resume his role as the extra defenseman. Chaput meanwhile hasn’t played yet this season and actually only saw NHL action on two occasions during 2019-20. The 28-year-old did have 16 goals and 29 points in 47 AHL games last year but has never been able to bring that kind of offensive production up a level.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed Elvis Merzlikins on injured reserve while bringing up Matiss Kivlenieks from the taxi squad. Cam Johnson has been recalled from the AHL to the taxi squad to fill in as the third goaltender while the team deals with a minor injury to Merzlikins. The Blue Jackets have listed the goaltender as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
  • Jason Robertson is back with the Dallas Stars, recalled from the taxi squad today. The 21-year-old forward has played in two games so far this season but is still looking for that elusive first NHL goal. He’ll be back in the lineup tonight when the Stars take on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

East Division

  • The Washington Capitals have sent Pheonix Copley back to the minor leagues, though that doesn’t necessarily mean Ilya Samsonov is coming off the COVID Protocol list right away. The team still has three goaltenders with the NHL team as Zach Fucale sits on the taxi squad. The Hershey Bears start their season tomorrow and will likely have Copley in net.
  • The New York Rangers have recalled Libor Hajek from the taxi squad, giving the young defenseman another chance now that they have moved on from Tony DeAngelo. Hajek, 23, played 28 games for the Rangers last season but wasn’t all that successful and has yet to suit up for a game this season. Selected 37th overall in 2016, he has just 33 NHL games under his belt thus far.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/03/21

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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.

North Division

  • The Calgary Flames have once again flipped Buddy Robinson and Derek Ryan with the former being recalled and the latter being sent to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  This is a move that has happened several times already this season and will likely be flipped again on Thursday.  If that happens and Ryan plays, he’ll need to go through waivers again before he can be returned.  Connor Mackey was also sent back to the taxi squad.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have reversed yesterday’s goaltending swap, returning Cayden Primeau to Laval of the AHL while recalling Charlie Lindgren to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Prior to Tuesday, Lindgren had been on Montreal’s taxi squad since clearing waivers back in training camp.

West Division

  • The Vegas Golden Knights have added Kaedan Korczak to the taxi squad, after Brayden McNabb was ruled out with an injury and placed on long-term injured reserve recently. Korczak, 20, won a silver medal with the Canadian World Junior team earlier this year and was a second-round pick of the Golden Knights in 2019.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have reassigned Mark Alt, Austin Strand, and Arthur Kaliyev back to the taxi squad, moving Boko Imama and Sean Durzi down to the AHL once again. This is just an off-day money-saving move since the Kings don’t play again until Friday night. Kaliyev, 19, became one of the youngest goal scorers in Kings’ history when he scored in his NHL debut last night.
  • The St. Louis Blues have assigned Jacob de la Rose to the taxi squad, CapFriendly reports.  He was recalled last week but didn’t see any game action.  The center suited up in 34 games for the Blues last season.

Central Division

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have called up Madison Bowey to the taxi squad, sending Michal Teply and Wyatt Kalynuk back to the minor leagues in the process. Bowey signed a two-year contract earlier this season but was sent to the AHL after clearing waivers. The 25-year-old defenseman will now be one step closer to getting back into the NHL, where he played 53 games last season.  CapFriendly adds that Reese Johnson was also sent to the taxi squad.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned Liam Foudy to the taxi squad, moving Nathan Gerbe down to the AHL in the process. Columbus got Patrik Laine into the lineup last night where he played nearly 21 minutes but unfortunately couldn’t register a point in his Blue Jackets debut.
  • The Detroit Red Wings are getting back several players from the COVID Protocol list, announcing today that Mathias Brome has been moved to the taxi squad to help make room for Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, and Jonathon Merrill, who have all been removed from the CPRA.
  • The Florida Panthers have assigned Owen Tippett to the taxi squad after the young forward played just eight minutes in the team’s last game. Tippett hasn’t recorded a single point so far this season and actually has just one goal in his 12 NHL games. Selected 10th overall in 2017, he still hasn’t quite been able to make his mark at the highest level.
  • Tanner Kero is on his way back to the taxi squad for the Dallas Stars, a move that he should be familiar with by this point. Kero has been involved in seven transactions since clearing waivers on January 12, popping up and down from the taxi squad regularly for the Stars.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have returned Morgan Geekie and Alex Nedeljkovic to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Geekie played nearly ten minutes last night while on emergency recall while Nedeljkovic is likely to be on the NHL roster with more regularity over the next few weeks with Petr Mrazek undergoing surgery today.
  • After being up on emergency loans, the Colorado Avalanche returned Kiefer Sherwood, Sheldon Dries, and Jacob MacDonald to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  In a corresponding move, Shane Bowers was transferred from the taxi squad to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.

East Division

  • With Kaapo Kakko back at practice after a short stint on the COVID Protocol list, the New York Rangers have sent Jonny Brodzinski back to the AHL. Brodzinski played earlier this week for the Rangers, recording a shot and a minor penalty in under eight minutes of ice time. Kakko only spent two days on the list, meaning he never did test positive for the coronavirus.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Connor Bunnaman from their taxi squad and also re-assigned Samuel Morin to AHL Lehigh Valley from their taxi squad.  This is Bunnaman’s fifth recall of the young season while playing in six games for the Flyers while Morin, another player who has been shuffled back and forth, has suited up just once and should get more consistent playing time with the Phantoms.
  • The Boston Bruins have added Anton Blidh from the taxi squad and he will make his season debut tonight, reports Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic.  The 25-year-old has played in each of the last four seasons and has 28 career NHL games under his belt.
  • A day after being sent to the taxi squad, the Buffalo Sabres have moved Arttu Ruotsalainen to Rochester of the AHL, per CapFriendly.  He’s in the second year of his entry-level deal but has yet to play in North America.  Prior to training camp, he was off to a strong start in Finland, collecting 16 goals and 11 assists in just 19 games with Ilves.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/02/21

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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.

North Division

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs added Nic Petan to their practice group today, and head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters that he would be in the mix for the fourth line rotation moving forward. Petan, 25, has played in just 21 NHL games since arriving in Toronto during the 2018-19 season but was a dominant offensive piece in the minor leagues last year.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have sent Stuart Skinner back to the taxi squad, while recalling Evan Bouchard who is expected to make his season debut. The Oilers look like they will go with seven defensemen tonight, making James Neal a healthy scratch despite his recent two-goal game. Alex Chiasson, who cleared waivers, has not been moved to the taxi squad and is expected to play.

West Division

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Patrik Laine and expect him to debut tonight for the team. To make room, Kevin Stenlund has been moved to injured reserve retroactive to his last appearance. The team has also swapped Matiss Kivlenieks and Cam Johnson again between the AHL and taxi squad, a move that seems like it’s going to be repeated throughout the season.
  • Just like every other day, the Nashville Predators have made a swap, sending Mathieu Olivier and Eeli Tolvanen back to the taxi squad. Tolvanen played in his first game since 2018 last night and scored, though it came in a losing effort. The 21-year-old now has two goals and three points in eight career games at the NHL level.
  • Tanner Kero and Joel L’Esperance have been recalled by the Dallas Stars, while Ty Dellandrea heads back to the taxi squad in their place. The Stars take on the Blue Jackets tonight in just their seventh game of the season after missing the first chunk due to COVID postponements.

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins had some new faces on the ice today as Mike Matheson and Zach Aston-Reese returned, which could explain why Will Reilly was sent to the AHL and both Drew O’Connor and Kevin Czuczman were assigned to the taxi squad. The Penguins don’t play again until Saturday thanks to the Devils COVID outbreak, meaning they have a few days to get a little healthier before resuming their season.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Tony DeAngelo Clears Waivers

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4:45pm: At a press conference this evening, Rangers GM Jeff Gorton made it clear that DeAngelo “has played his last game for the Rangers.” As Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press relays on Twitter, Gorton felt that DeAngelo “wasn’t able to move on” from being a healthy scratch earlier in the season and if anything else happened, the team was ready to move on instead. DeAngelo will not be around the team, despite currently being on the taxi squad, while they search for a trade. At this point, the Rangers are not looking to void his contract.

11:05am: New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo has cleared waivers today, meaning he can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues. DeAngelo was waived after an incident occurred following Saturday’s overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, in which he and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev had a physical altercation in the hallway outside the locker room. As Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports, the altercation was broken up by rookie defenseman K’Andre Miller.

DeAngelo, 25, signed a two-year, $9.6MM contract just a few months ago after his breakout 15-goal, 53-point 2019-20 season. He received Norris Trophy votes for the outstanding campaign but was still overshadowed by assistant captain Jacob Trouba and young star Adam Fox on the right side in New York. This is not the first time DeAngelo has been involved in altercations with teammates. In 2014, he was suspended by the OHL for violating the league’s harassment, abuse, and diversity policy by directing a slur at one of his Sarnia Sting teammates. It was the second time he had been suspended for violating the league’s policy. DeAngelo has also been suspended in the NHL for the abuse of an official, serving a three-game ban in 2017.

As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets, the Rangers are now still determining what the next step is for the organization and DeAngelo. They are working with his agent Pat Brisson on the matter, though a trade seems very unlikely at this point. Putting DeAngelo on the taxi squad or minor leagues would bury $1.075MM of his cap hit, while an offseason buyout would require the Rangers to only pay out one-third of the remaining salary owed because he is still under the age of 26. That would mean relatively minuscule cap penalties moving forward, though they would have to wait until the end of the year.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/01/21

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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.

North Division

  • The Calgary Flames have recalled Connor Mackey and Derek Ryan from the taxi squad, moving Buddy Robinson down in their place. The Flames have been moving Ryan off the active roster whenever they don’t have a game to play in order to save some cap and delay his waiver clock. It won’t be possible forever (once Ryan plays ten games, he’ll need waivers again to go down) but for now he’s on a constant shuffle back and forth.

West Division

  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Jacob Ingham from the AHL and assigned him to the taxi squad while sending Matt Villalta back down in his place. This swap could be frequent throughout the season to ensure both goaltenders get some minor league game action while still providing a third goaltender for the NHL club.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have finally added Ilya Lyubushkin to the active roster now that his work visa situation has been resolved. Lyubushkin played in 51 games for the Coyotes last season and signed a new one-year, $1MM deal in October. The 26-year-old defenseman has just eight points in his NHL career and is still looking for that elusive first goal.

Central Division

  • With players starting to come off the COVID Protocol list, the Carolina Hurricanes have sent Drew Shore, Sheldon Rempal, and Joey Keane back to the Chicago Wolves. Only Jesper Fast remained when the list came out yesterday, meaning the Hurricanes should have nearly a full complement of players at their disposal for tomorrow’s game.
  • The Dallas Stars have moved Tanner Kero to the taxi squad after the veteran forward played just under nine minutes last night. Kero had been seeing more time than ever before in his career but returned to spot duty in last night’s shootout loss against the Hurricanes. The 28-year-old has two points in five games and could be back up from the taxi squad tomorrow for the Stars next game.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Matiss Kivlenieks to the AHL while recalling Cam Johnson to the taxi squad. The goaltending swap is intended to keep each of them fresh and in game form through minor league action while continuing to provide a third option for the NHL.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have made their daily changes, moving Givani Smith, Michael Rasmussen, and Calvin Pickard back to the taxi squad, while sending Chase Pearson, Dennis Cholowski, and Gustav Lindstrom down to the AHL. The Red Wings don’t play again until Wednesday, meaning they can save some cash and cap by moving players on two-way contracts off the active roster.
  • Similarly, the Nashville Predators have recalled Mathieu Olivier and Eeli Tolvanen from the taxi squad, giving them some extra forwards on game day. The Predators play the Lightning tonight and if he gets into the lineup, it would be Tolvanen’s first NHL action since 2018.

East Division

  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Jean-Sebastien Dea and C.J. Smith to the taxi squad while sending top prospect Jack Quinn to the AHL. The Rochester Americans start their truncated season later this week and Quinn appears to be in for some professional action while his junior league remains suspended. Quinn, 19, will not start his entry-level contract by playing in the AHL.
  • The New York Rangers have recalled Anthony Bitetto from the taxi squad, presumably to take the spot of Tony DeAngelo who cleared waivers earlier today. In the meantime, however, Jonny Brodzinski has been recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL to fill the empty taxi squad spot. It’s not clear exactly where DeAngelo sits with the team, but for now the 30-year-old Bitetto is expected to make his Rangers debut.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins, who are dealing with another injury on defense, have recalled Will Reilly from the taxi squad. The 23-year-old defenseman has not played a professional game yet after completing his four-year career at R.P.I. last season. To make room on the roster, Brian Dumoulin has been moved to long-term injured reserve retroactive to January 26.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Mathew Dumba Placed On Injured Reserve

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The long list of absentees continues to grow for Minnesota as defenseman Mathew Dumba has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, notes Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.  That means he will be out for at least the next four games including tonight’s matchup against Colorado.  Head coach Dean Evason indicated that there’s no timetable for his return while acknowledging it doesn’t look good.

Dumba’s absence is a tough blow to the Wild’s back end as he has been a key part of their top four for several years now.  After a quiet 2019-20 season offensively, he is off to a better start this year with three goals through his first nine games; the rest of Minnesota’s defenders have just one combined.

Meanwhile, Evason is hopeful that Marcus Johansson’s undisclosed injury won’t keep him out for long although he isn’t in the lineup tonight.  Goaltender Alex Stalock and winger Mats Zuccarello are also injured with the latter being transferred to LTIR to accommodate today’s taxi squad recalls of wingers Gerald Mayhew and Kyle Rau plus defenseman Luke Johnson.  Will Bitten and Mason Shaw were added to the taxi squad in corresponding moves, per CapFriendly.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/31/21

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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.

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled defenseman Artem Zub from the taxi squad. The 25-year-old blueliner has spent the last six years playing in the KHL and chose to sign with the Senators in May after a breakout campaign in 2019-20 when he scored 13 goals for SKA St. Petersburg. The team had an open spot after sending Filip Chlapik to the taxi squad recently. Zub could make his NHL debut, filling in for the injured Thomas Chabot who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have moved Corey Perry to the taxi squad, according to CapFriendly. Perry has appeared in three games for Montreal, scoring a goal and an assist.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced a series of roster moves.  Gaetan Haas was activated off injured reserve while Stuart Skinner was recalled from the taxi squad.  Coming off the NHL roster are veteran forwards Tyler Ennis and Devin Shore as both were sent to the taxi squad.
  • The Calgary Flames have returned Derek Ryan to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly while recalling Buddy Robinson to the active roster.  Calgary has been shuttling Ryan back and forth after he cleared waivers at the end of the training camp, allowing them to bank a little extra cap space.  He should be recalled again on Monday.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs made several taxi squad moves according to CapFriendly.  Pierre Engvall, Jason Spezza, and Michael Hutchinson were all assigned to the taxi squad with Rasmus Sandin and Adam Brooks being recalled.

East Division

Central Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forward Givani Smith from their taxi squad. The winger has appeared in three games for the Red Wings this year with an assist. The team then followed that up, announcing the team has assigned forward Chase Pearson from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL to the taxi squad to replace Smith. The 23-year-old Pearson was a fifth-round pick back in 2015 and has been with the Griffins for one season.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled forward Drew Shore and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from their taxi squad. The team also placed forward Max McCormick on injured reserve after colliding with goaltender Petr Mrazek Saturday. Shore hasn’t made an NHL appearance since the 2016-17 season, spending the last four years of his career between the NL and the KHL. Nedeljkovic was considered the goalie of the future, but has yet to earn himself a full-time roster spot with the Hurricanes and was recently placed on waivers.
  • Reese Johnson has been recalled from Chicago’s taxi squad, reports Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.  The forward had eight points in 52 games with AHL Rockford last season along with 63 penalty minutes and is making his NHL debut tonight.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have promoted defenseman Jacob MacDonald from the taxi squad, notes Peter Baugh of The Athletic.  He’s taking the place of Erik Johnson who suffered an upper-body injury last game.  To stay cap compliant, Kiefer Sherwood was sent to the taxi squad, meaning the Avs are playing a skater short tonight.
  • The Nashville Predators have assigned Mathieu Olivier back to the taxi squad, CapFriendly reports.  While he has played in six games for the Preds this season, he has also been sent to the taxi squad six separate times over the last three weeks.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have loaned Luke Schenn and Christopher Gibson to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Schenn has been shuffled back and forth several times this season while Gibson shouldn’t be needed now that Curtis McElhinney has been taken off the CPRA list.

West Division

  • The Arizona Coyotes announced that defenseman Victor Soderstrom has been assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. This was an expected move for the 11th-overall pick in 2019. Soderstrom came over to North America this season but was always expected to spend most of the season in the AHL. The 19-year-old did make two NHL appearances this year filling in for an injured Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but has been a healthy scratch since.
  • The Los Angeles Kings announced that forward Arthur Kaliyev and defenseman Austin Strand have been recalled from the Ontario Reign of the AHL and moved to the team’s taxi squad. The team also has re-assigned forwards Samuel Fagemo and Boko Imama from the taxi squad to Ontario.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled center Andrew Agozzino from San Diego of the AHL, per a team release.  To make room on the roster, defenseman Josh Mahura has been sent to the Gulls.  Meanwhile, CapFriendly reports that Isac Lundestrom has been sent down to the taxi squad just one day after being recalled.

Washington Capitals Activate Alex Ovechkin

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Even without four of their best players, the Washington Capitals have stayed at the head of the East Division, undefeated in regulation through their first eight games. Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, and Ilya Samsonov have missed the last several contests after a hotel room gathering got all four placed on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list. Today, both Ovechkin and Orlov were taken off the list, returned to practice, and now the former has also been added to the active roster. Ovechkin had been designated non-roster since the incident, but now will be eligible to play tonight as Daniel Carr heads to the taxi squad.

Orlov could also be in the lineup tonight when the Capitals take on the Boston Bruins, but he was never moved off the roster so did not need any activation.

Carr, 29, played in two of the games that the other four missed, scoring the first assist of his Capitals career in the process. The depth forward has only played 113 games at the NHL level and will have to wait patiently for his next opportunity through injury or illness.

Ovechkin meanwhile returns to a season that started with a bang, recording five points in his first four games. The legendary winger has led the league in goals for seven of the past eight seasons and likely won’t take very long to notch his second of the season. Perhaps the days off will even keep him healthier in the long run, especially as the 35-year-old navigates a condensed season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/30/21

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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.

East Division

  • The Penguins announced that they have recalled defenseman Yannick Weber from the taxi squad. The 32-year-old signed a two-way deal with Pittsburgh earlier this week and with their injury situation on the back end, they need him already.  The team also converted the emergency recalls of blueliners Kevin Czuczman and Pierre-Olivier Joseph to regular recalls.
  • The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that they have assigned center Connor McMichael from the taxi squad to AHL Hershey, recalling Phillipe Maillet from Hershey to fill the vacated slot. McMichael, a first-round pick of Washington back in 2019, made his NHL debut on Sunday, logging nearly 10 minutes against Buffalo.  As for Maillet, he led the Bears in scoring last season with 44 points in 61 games.
  • Nick Merkley is back up with the Devils as New Jersey announced (via Twitter) that the winger has been recalled from the taxi squad. The 23-year-old has played in two games with the Devils so far this season, recording one assist and will take the place of Travis Zajac who was placed on the CPRA list yesterday.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have announced a number of moves, including a pair of recalls and an injured reserve switch. Up from the taxi squad are forwards Connor Bunnaman and former defenseman Samuel Morin. Bunnaman has played in four games with the Flyers thus far, but Morin would be making his season debut if he draws into the lineup. Also, defenseman Philippe Myers has been activated from the IR, while forward Sean Couturier has officially been transferred to the reserve.

Central Division

  • With Ryan Lomberg clearing waivers, the Florida Panthers forward has been assigned to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The team has also transferred defenseman Gustav Forsling to the injured reserve, with head coach Joel Quenneville believing that he could miss a week or two. Filling those two open spots on the roster for now are young forwards Aleksi Heponiemi and Owen Tippett, both of whom have been recalled from the taxi squad. Should he find his way into the lineup on this recall, it would be the NHL debut for Heponiemi in his second season with the Panthers.
  • The Detroit Red Wings are re-stocking their active roster after a day off. Forwards Taro Hirose, Michael Rasmussen, and Givani Smith and goaltender Calvin Pickard have been elevated from the taxi squad ahead of tonight’s game against the Panthers. Rasmussen has played in six games so far this season, Hirose and Smith have each played in three, and Pickard has not seen any action as the club’s No. 3 goalie.

North Division

  • As expected, the Canadiens have recalled Corey Perry from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly’s transactions log. The recall is once again classified as on an emergency basis with Joel Armia out with a concussion as Perry’s promotion brings them to 12 forwards.  The veteran has a goal and an assist in two games this season.
  • A frequent move this season for the Winnipeg Jets, the team has again shuffled rookies Kristian Vesalainen and Logan Stanley between the active roster and taxi squad, this time announcing that the pair have been recalled. The first round picks have played in a combined seven games thus far this season.
  • At long last, the Edmonton Oilers have a veteran backup back on the roster. Waiver claim Troy Grosenick has been added to the active roster alongside Tyler Ennis, who has been recalled from the taxi squad. They take the places of Stuart Skinner and Joakim Nygard, who have been demoted to the taxi squad per a team release. Additionally, forward Alan Quine has been reassigned from the taxi squad to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors – not a small move considering how difficult it will be for Quine to be recalled from the American affiliate to the Canadian parent club.

West Division

  • Lias Andersson is headed back to the taxi squad, the Los Angeles Kings announced. The off-season addition has played in six of the team’s eight games so far but has seen limited minutes and produced just one point. The Kings want to see more from the 2017 seventh overall pick.

West Notes: Dunn, Avalanche, Balcers, Talbot

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The report earlier this week that the Blues are engaging in trade discussions around defenseman Vince Dunn came as a surprise to some but a slow start and eventual cap challenges once Vladimir Tarasenko is cleared to return is certainly among the reasons his name is out there.  In a reader chat, Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch posits another idea in that there is potentially a wide divide between what the team feels he’s worth versus what Dunn believes he’s worth.  Timmermann draws some parallels to former Blue Joel Edmundson who went year-to-year on his deal as the two sides were just too far apart to find common ground on a long-term agreement.  If that is indeed the case, moving Dunn now with three years of team control left after this one would make more sense than what happened with Edmundson who was moved to Carolina last year as salary ballast in the Justin Faulk trade.

More from the West Division:

  • The injuries continue to pile up for the Avalanche as Peter Baugh of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is expected to miss an extended amount of time, joining winger Matt Calvert and goalie Pavel Francouz in that particular category. Bellemare sustained a lower-body injury in Thursday’s game against San Jose.  Meanwhile, defenseman Devon Toews, who also briefly left yesterday’s contest, is also banged up with head coach Jared Bednar indicating that he’s unsure regarding the blueliner’s status.
  • Sharks winger Rudolfs Balcers has been cleared to play and will head to the minors for a conditioning stint, reports CapFriendly (Twitter links). The 23-year-old was claimed off waivers back on January 12th and received a non-roster designation the next day that lasted through today.  Balcers will be able to skate with AHL San Jose for up to two weeks before he must be recalled.
  • Minnesota is hoping to have goalie Cam Talbot available for their next game against Colorado on Saturday, notes Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He has missed the last three games due to a lower-body injury with Kaapo Kahkonen making all three starts in his absence.  The team has sent Andrew Hammond back to the taxi squad while Dereck Baribeau has gone from the taxi squad to the minors, reports CapFriendly (Twitter links), suggesting that Talbot is indeed ready to return.

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