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Taxi Squad

Adam Fox Placed On Injured Reserve

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It hasn’t been a great few days for All-Star representatives, as Drake Batherson suffered a high-ankle sprain, Nathan MacKinnon suffered a facial fracture and now Adam Fox has been moved to injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

Fox left last night’s game and was considered day-to-day, but will miss at least the last three New York Rangers games before the All-Star break with his IR designation. Whether he can take part in the festivities is unclear, though it seems unlikely he’ll be on the ice for the game itself given this new injury.

The Rangers, meanwhile, have recalled both Tim Gettinger and Nils Lundkvist to the active roster, sending Morgan Barron to the taxi squad to make room. Lundkvist would potentially represent a replacement for Fox in the lineup, though it is hard to fill the skates of the reigning Norris Trophy winner.

In 44 games this season, Fox has already matched his previous career-high of 47 points including 16 in his last 12 matches. He averages more than 24 minutes a night, plays both the powerplay and penalty kill, and is overall one of the most impactful players in the entire NHL. Without him, the Rangers will have to rely more on some of their other young defensemen including K’Andre Miller, who broke the 22-minute mark last night for the fourth straight game.

Colton Sceviour Placed On Waivers

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The Edmonton Oilers had to clear a roster spot for Evander Kane, who is expected to play tomorrow night against the Montreal Canadiens, so Colton Sceviour is the odd man out. Sceviour has been placed on waivers today by the team, while William Lagesson was also assigned to the taxi squad.

Sceviour, 32, played just 7:57 last night against the Nashville Predators, receiving just 12 shifts and none in the final six minutes of the third period. His role on the team had diminished throughout the season, and he’s now available to others for the low cost of a waiver claim.

Signed to a one-year, two-way contract that carries a cap hit of $750K at the NHL level, he could potentially be a nice fourth-line addition for teams dealing with injury problems or inconsistency from their depth players, as Sceviour does have more than 500 games of experience. In 30 games this year for Edmonton, he has five points and was a key penalty killer for the club, getting almost 20% of his ice time short-handed.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/28/22

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The theme for tonight’s NHL action is retirement, as both Henrik Lundqvist and Sergei Zubov will have their jersey numbers retired. Lundqvist’s No. 30 will be raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden, while Zubov’s No. 56 goes up at the American Airlines Center. Those two emotional ceremonies will be followed by a pair of good matchups, with the Rangers taking on the Minnesota Wild and Stars welcoming in the Washington Capitals. As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have reassigned Lassi Thomson to the taxi squad, after he played more than 23 minutes last night for the club. The young defenseman will continue to be moved off the roster between games in order for the Senators to save a bit of salary. Thomson is still on his entry-level contract, which means he earns much less when on the taxi squad or in the minor leagues.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought Carl Dahlstrom back from the AHL to the taxi squad, while sending Alex Biega back the other way. The two depth defensemen are basically handedness-based insurance for the Maple Leafs, and right now the team is still down left-handed Jake Muzzin as he recovers from a concussion.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Gemel Smith from the AHL to the taxi squad and Calvin Pickard from the taxi squad to the active roster. Luke Witkowski has been sent back to the Grand Rapids Griffins to make room.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Joe Snively from the taxi squad, as Michal Kempny is unavailable due to entering the COVID protocol. Kempny took part in the team’s morning skate as they prepare for tonight’s game, but will not play.

Central Division

  • The Dallas Stars have moved Rhett Gardner to the taxi squad and Anton Khudobin back to the AHL, as they get their regular goaltenders healthy again. Khudobin, 35, has an .898 save percentage in four games with the Texas Stars and an .879 in nine NHL appearances.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have made several moves, following their game last night. Leon Gawanke, Johnathan Kovacevic, and Kristian Reichel have all been moved to the taxi squad, while Declan Chisholm and Mikey Eyssimont are going back to the AHL. Kovacevic played just over ten minutes in his NHL debut, recording one shot on goal.
  • The Nashville Predators have reassigned Matt Tennyson to the taxi squad. Matt Luff and Cole Smith are headed to the AHL, while Tomas Vomacka has been assigned back to the ECHL. Vomacka, 22, has been often used as a practice goaltender by the Predators but has 12 games played at the ECHL level.

Pacific Division

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Edmonton Oilers Place Tyson Barrie On IR, Activate Zach Hyman From Protocol

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The Edmonton Oilers announced a flurry of roster moves Thursday night. Left wing Zach Hyman has come off COVID protocol, defenseman Tyson Barrie lands on injured reserve, defenseman William Lagesson comes to the active roster to replace him, and goalie Olivier Rodrigue comes up from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to the team’s taxi squad.

Hyman hasn’t played much in the last month or so due to injuries and COVID protocol, so his return to the lineup is much-anticipated. Through 32 games, the first-year Oiler has 11 goals and 20 assists for 21 points on the year. He’s one of four Oilers with ten goals, joining Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Jesse Puljujarvi.

Barrie exits the lineup just as the team’s defense had returned to full health. While not the world-beating production he had last year, Barrie still has 17 points in 35 games, playing mostly in a shielded role more suited to his defensive weaknesses.

The Oilers will likely have Lagesson enter the lineup, but he’s been used sparingly this year. In just 10 games, the Swedish defenseman has two assists and is averaging a meager 11:31 per game.

Rodrigue, the team’s 62nd overall selection in 2018, has a .886 save percentage in 13 games with Bakersfield this year.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/27/22

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It’s a busy night in the NHL with ten games on tap, including a rematch of the St. Louis Blues-Calgary Flames. The two battled on Monday in what turned into a lopsided loss for the Blues as the red-hot Flames poured seven goals in on Jordan Binnington. Calgary has taken 110 shots on goal over the last two games, including a franchise-high 62 against the Columbus Blue Jackets last night. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling:

Atlantic Division

  • The Buffalo Sabres have reassigned Casey Fitzgerald to the taxi squad, as they prepare for their three-game road trip that starts on Saturday. Buffalo has been absolutely decimated by injuries this season and now sit at 13-22-7 on the year.
  • Another young face is coming up to the Ottawa Senators, as Egor Sokolov has been recalled from the AHL. Clark Bishop and Lassi Thomson have been moved to the taxi squad, but it’s Sokolov that will generate a lot of the headlines today. The 21-year-old has played in four games for Ottawa this season but is still waiting on his first NHL point. For Belleville, he has 21 in 27 games.
  • Matt Kiersted has been loaned back to the taxi squad by the Florida Panthers, as Gustav Forsling returned to practice after his stint on the COVID protocol. He’s officially a game-time decision for tonight.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • Kyle Rau is back from the AHL and will join the Minnesota Wild taxi squad, not for the first time. Rau has played four games for Minnesota this season, to go along with the outstanding 26 contests he’s finished in the AHL. The 29-year-old forward has 25 points in the minor leagues, continuing what has been a strong AHL career to this point.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Collin Delia, sending Cale Morris and Arvid Soderblom to the AHL in his place. Delia, 27, has a .910 save percentage in 14 AHL appearances this season and plenty of previous experience at the NHL level.
  • With Nathan MacKinnon injured last night, the Colorado Avalanche have recalled Dylan Sikura from the Colorado Eagles. Sikura has been outstanding for the Eagles this season, scoring 14 goals and 31 points in 29 games.
  • Johnathan Kovacevic is set to make his NHL debut after the Winnipeg Jets recalled him from the taxi squad today. The team assigned Leon Gawanke to the taxi squad from the AHL to take his place. Kovacevic, 24, was a third-round pick of the Jets in 2017 and has 14 points in 32 games for the Manitoba Moose this season.
  • On a day where more arena rumors took hold of the news cycle, the Arizona Coyotes recalled defenseman Cam Dineen to the taxi squad from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. Arizona has shuffled Dineen up and down this season, as he’s notched four points in five games in the AHL and four points in 14 games in a third-pairing role in the NHL.
  • Matt Luff and Matt Tennyson continue their shuffle up and down between the active roster and taxi squad. The Nashville Predators recalled them today, and they’ll likely find themselves in the lineup against Edmonton tonight.

Pacific Division

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Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/26/22

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Five games are on the NHL schedule this morning, including a battle between the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche, two teams who consider themselves Stanley Cup contenders. The Bruins will have to try and slow down a freight train, though, as the Avalanche have won seven in a row and haven’t lost in regulation in their last 13. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Lassi Thomson to the taxi squad, though that assignment could be short-lived. The Senators are back in action tomorrow against the Carolina Hurricanes and likely will need to use Thomson again, unless Erik Brannstrom can test out of the COVID protocol.
  • With the Montreal Canadiens starting to get healthier, the team has sent Corey Schueneman back to the AHL. The 26-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut this season, skating in four games with Montreal. Later in the day, the team also activated Josh Brook from injured reserve and sent him to the AHL, while assigning Michael McNiven to the taxi squad.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Isaac Ratcliffe to the taxi squad, sending Jackson Cates, Linus Sandin, and Felix Sandstrom back to the AHL. Connor Bunnaman and Cam York, meanwhile, are headed to the taxi squad from the active roster. The Flyers don’t play again until Saturday, meaning there is time to save cap and salary while reinforcing the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the time being.

Central Division

  • The Winnipeg Jets have returned Johnathan Kovacevic and Kristian Reichel to the taxi squad, after recalling but scratching them both last night. Kovacevic, 24, has still not made his NHL debut but has been a strong performer for the Manitoba Moose.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Hunter Miska to the taxi squad, where he’ll likely serve as nothing more than a practice goaltender. Miska has been terrible in his four appearances for the Colorado Eagles, allowing 13 goals on 64 shots.
  • James Neal is on his way back to the minor leagues, reassigned by the St. Louis Blues today. The veteran forward cleared waivers at the beginning of the month and does not yet need to clear them again to go to the AHL.
  • The Nashville Predators have reassigned Cole Smith and Matt Tennyson to the taxi squad, moves that could be reversed by tomorrow’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. The Predators move players on and off of the taxi squad between almost every game, as they try to save salary and cap space.

Pacific Division

  • The Edmonton Oilers have assigned Ilya Konovalov to the AHL, while moving Kyle Turris to the taxi squad. Moving Turris, who cleared waivers again recently, down clears $1.125MM off the cap for the Oilers, who have once again been linked to Evander Kane as the NHL wraps up his investigation.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Jets Announce Several Roster Moves

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Prior to their game tonight against Florida, the Jets announced (Twitter link) quite a few roster moves.  Defensemen Dylan DeMelo and Logan Stanley were both placed on injured reserve while fellow blueliner Josh Morrissey entered COVID protocol.  That resulted in the recalls of rearguards Ville Heinola and Johnny Kovacevic from the taxi squad as well as forward Kristian Reichel.  In order to get cap-compliant to make those moves, goaltender Mikhail Berdin was sent back to the taxi squad while center David Gustafsson was transferred to LTIR.

DeMelo suffered an upper-body injury back on Saturday against Boston and has been listed as day-to-day since then; if the IR placement was backdated, he will be eligible to return as soon as this weekend.  As for Stanley, he was injured back on Thursday with interim head coach Dave Lowry telling reporters, including Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe (Twitter link) that Stanley’s designation is longer than day-to-day.  At this point, the fact that they didn’t see fit to place him on LTIR should at least be considered as some cause for optimism as that would have forced him to miss 10 games and 24 days.  That’s what will happen for Gustafsson although he last played nearly three weeks ago and assuming his placement was backdated, he could be back as soon as next week.

The loss of Morrissey will certainly be a big loss for the Jets in the short term as he logs just shy of 23 minutes a game on the back end, the most of anyone on the team.  He’ll be out for at least five days as a result of this placement as long as it’s for a confirmed positive test.

As for the recalls, Heinola is the most experienced with 13 career games under his belt although none of them have come this season as Winnipeg has opted to have the 2019 first-rounder develop with a consistent role in the AHL where he has chipped in with 16 points in 24 games.  Reichel made his NHL debut last month and has played in five games overall this season, picking up his first career NHL goal in the process.  Meanwhile, Kovacevic is in his fourth season in Winnipeg’s system and this is his first career recall to the big club.  He has 14 points in 32 games with AHL Manitoba so far in 2021-22.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/25/22

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Eight games are on the slate tonight in the NHL, but all eyes will be on UBS Arena where the New York Islanders will welcome in the Philadelphia Flyers. A mid-week match between two struggling teams may not normally draw much attention but when Keith Yandle steps on the ice, he’ll pass Doug Jarvis and become the NHL’s all-time iron man. Yandle has played in his 964th consecutive match last night, failing to miss a game since starting his streak on March 26, 2009. Phil Kessel, who has his own streak going, will also be in action tonight in his 941st consecutive game. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • Erik Brannstrom has entered the COVID protocol today, meaning Lassi Thomson is back up from the AHL for the Ottawa Senators. Thomson, 21, has played in 12 games for Ottawa this season and another 15 for the Belleville Senators of the AHL. The 19th overall pick in 2019, he’s one of several high-end defense prospects in the Senators organization that will soon be fighting for full-time minutes at the NHL level.
  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Jesper Froden to the taxi squad, giving them an extra forward as they hit the road for a game in Colorado tomorrow. Froden, an undrafted signing out of Sweden, has 21 points in 30 games for the Providence Bruins and made his NHL debut last month.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • The St. Louis Blues have assigned Dakota Joshua, Alexei Toropchenko, and Calle Rosen to the AHL after returning from their road trip. The team hosts the Calgary Flames on Thursday in a rematch of last night’s 7-1 thrashing.
  • Riley Tufte has been assigned to the AHL by the Dallas Stars, where he can play tomorrow night for the Texas Stars. Tufte, 23, has played in five games for Dallas this season and has 13 points in 24 minor league games.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have assigned Hudson Fasching to the AHL from the taxi squad, allowing the forward to continue his minor league season. Fasching has 16 points in 19 games for the Tucson Roadrunners so far.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled defenseman Matt Tennyson and center Cole Smith from the taxi squad.  Tennyson has three assists in two games with the Preds so far this season while Smith has suited in five games without recording a point.

Pacific Division

  • The Los Angeles Kings have made their usual long list of moves on an off day. Samuel Fagemo, Alex Turcotte, Christian Wolanin, and Matt Villalta have all been sent from the taxi squad to the minor leagues. Austin Strand has been moved from the Kings’ active roster to the taxi squad, while Jacob Ingham and Jacob Moverare have been brought up from Ontario to the taxi squad. Expect more movement before Thursday’s game against the Islanders as the Kings continue to juggle the salary cap and development of young players.

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Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/24/22

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It’s a new week in the NHL and that means a full schedule, including seven games this evening. One of the prime matchups is between two teams that were perhaps not expected to be contenders at the start of the season. The New York Rangers, first in the Metropolitan, will welcome in the Los Angeles Kings, second in the Pacific. Both teams won their previous game and will try to continue that trend at Madison Square Garden. As they and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have made several transactions. Calvin Pickard is heading to the AHL, while Kyle Criscuolo and Luke Witkowski are headed to the taxi squad. To join them, the team has also recalled Kaden Fulcher from the AHL to the taxi squad. Pickard has been outstanding for the Grand Rapids Griffins this season, posting a .929 save percentage in 26 appearances.
  • With the Toronto Maple Leafs getting Ondrej Kase and Justin Holl back into the lineup, the team has sent Joey Anderson, Carl Dahlstrom, and Erik Kallgren back to the AHL. Dahlstrom played his first NHL game since 2019-20 while Holl was out, but isn’t expected to be a regular contributor.
  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Jacob Bernard-Docker, Filip Gustavsson, and Logan Shaw to the AHL, though they obviously could recall any of them again before tomorrow’s game against the Sabres. Ottawa won just their 12th game of the season last night.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have reassigned Brett Murray to the AHL, though the Rochester Americans don’t play again until Friday, so he might be back up at some point this week. Murray, 23, has played in 19 games for the Sabres so far this season, recording six points.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned Charles Hudon, Daniel Walcott, and Andrej Sustr to the AHL. With just three games left for the Lightning before the All-Star break–and all of them coming at home–the team is reinforcing the Syracuse Crunch.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets assigned Jake Christiansen to the AHL from the taxi squad, giving him a chance to continue his strong minor league season. The undrafted defenseman has 20 points in 25 games for the Cleveland Monsters and made his NHL debut, skating in three games with Columbus.
  • The Rangers have added Adam Huska to the taxi squad, a curious move given Keith Kinkaid exited with an injury in yesterday’s Hartford Wolf Pack game. The AHL squad doesn’t play until Wednesday, but will likely need Huska back unless Kinkaid’s injury isn’t serious.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Linus Sandin, Connor Bunnaman, and Felix Sandstrom to the taxi squad. Sandin, 25, has still not made his NHL debut since signing out of Sweden but has seven points in 13 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
  • A.J. Greer, back from the hit that earned Ross Johnston a three-game suspension, has been activated from injured reserve and returned to the AHL. Greer has 15 points in 22 games for the Utica Comets this season.

Central Division

  • The Dallas Stars have reassigned Riley Damiani, Rhett Gardner, and Riley Tufte from the AHL to the taxi squad, giving them some extra bodies for their trip to Philadelphia. The Stars have won their last two games but still sit nine points behind the Minnesota Wild for fourth place in the Central Division.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Matt Luff to the taxi squad, while sending Tomas Vomacka all the way back to the ECHL. Vomacka, 22, has been used as a practice squad goaltender this season, while also posting solid numbers for the Florida Everblades in 12 ECHL appearances.

Pacific Division

  • The Calgary Flames have added Byron Froese to the taxi squad, as they prepare for action tonight against St. Louis. The Flames have had quite a rough stretch, losing seven of their last ten and falling out of a playoff spot. Froese, 30, has ten goals and 19 points in 22 games for the Stockton Heat this season.
    • The team’s now brought up another body to the taxi squad, calling up defenseman Connor Mackey. The Illinois native has 20 points in 34 games this year with Stockton.

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Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/21/22

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The NHL schedule is filled with eight games this evening, including the Florida Panthers trying to keep up their incredible goal-scoring pace against the Vancouver Canucks. After last night’s 6-0 debacle in Edmonton, the Panthers have scored at least five goals in eight of their last ten games, averaging 5.7 over that stretch. As they and others prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league and taxi squad shuffling.

Atlantic Division

  • The Buffalo Sabres have assigned Brett Murray to the taxi squad, meaning he won’t be available to the Rochester Americans this evening after all.  Unfortunately, it’s because top prospect Jack Quinn suffered a lower-body injury in last night’s game and is undergoing an MRI today. Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat reports that GM Kevyn Adams expects Quinn to miss some time.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Joey Anderson and Carl Dahlstrom to the taxi squad, suggesting that there could be another change coming on the back end. The team is without Jake Muzzin and Justin Holl at the moment and face the New York Islanders tomorrow night. Alex Biega, playing for Holl, saw just 12 minutes of ice time in the team’s last game.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Calvin Pickard to the taxi squad, giving them another goaltender as they prepare for the Dallas Stars tonight. Detroit will be hitting the road after the game to play again tomorrow night in Nashville.

Metropolitan Division

  • The Washington Capitals have returned Axel Jonsson-Fjallby to the Hershey Bears of the AHL, after playing just eight minutes last night. The 23-year-old has one point in nine games this season, his first in the NHL.

Central Division

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have removed both Kirby Dach and Brett Connolly from the COVID protocol, while recalling Mike Hardman from the AHL. To make room, Cale Morris has been sent to the AHL. Hardman, 22, has drawn the ire of some fans this season after failing to score a single goal in 20 appearances with the Blackhawks but remains an option for the bottom-six.
  • The Dallas Stars have sent Thomas Harley, Ty Dellandrea, and Rhett Gardner to the AHL, where they’ll join the Texas Stars ahead of tonight’s game against the Rockford IceHogs. Harley, a top prospect for Dallas, has played in eight games for the NHL squad this season.
  • Calen Addison, Matt Boldy, Connor Dewar, and Andrew Hammond have all been recalled from the taxi squad ahead of the Minnesota Wild game against the Chicago Blackhawks this evening. Boldy, 20, has four points in four games for the Wild so far this season.
  • The Nashville Predators have reassigned Matt Tennyson to the taxi squad, as they take a day off from a busy schedule. The Predators will be back in action tomorrow, meaning Tennyson could be back.

Pacific Division

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