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Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/15/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad, and although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.  The last five bullets are all courtesy of CapFriendly’s transactions log.

  • The Nashville Predators have placed Luca Sbisa on the active roster after being claimed off waivers earlier this week. To make room, Cole Smith has been moved to the taxi squad. Smith made his NHL debut last night but received just six shifts and failed to record a point. Sbisa, who signed a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets in October, has more than 500 games of NHL experience.
  • As it is an off day for the Calgary Flames, the team has moved Derek Ryan to the taxi squad in order to continue banking some cap space. Louis Domingue has also been placed there, suggesting that David Rittich will return from his family emergency in time for tomorrow’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. Artyom Zagidulin, who had been recalled to the practice squad, has been reassigned back to the AHL.
  • As expected after the Winnipeg Jets claimed Anton Forsberg, the team has moved both Kristian Vesalainen and Logan Stanley to the taxi squad. The team must keep Forsberg on the active roster until he clears waivers, something that doesn’t seem possible at the moment with teams looking for goaltending depth.
  • The Canucks have recalled Loui Eriksson from the taxi squad and replaced him with Justin Bailey, the opposite of a move they made just yesterday. Though it may seem counterintuitive, keeping Eriksson on the active roster and Bailey on the taxi squad during off days actually saves the Canucks money. The team is already in LTIR relief meaning they can’t bank cap space and have to pay Eriksson his one-way NHL salary regardless of where he plays. Bailey on the other hand earns less on his two-way deal whenever he is assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.
  • The Bruins have made a trio of moves.  Forward Karson Kuhlman has been assigned to AHL Providence while wingers Jack Studnicka and Trent Frederic were both sent to the taxi squad.  Studnicka played just under 12 minutes in Boston’s season opener while Frederic saw just under 11 minutes of ice time.  Chances are at least one will be recalled on Saturday.
  • With Cory Schneider being moved onto the Islanders’ roster giving them three goalies, they don’t have to carry one on the taxi squad.  As a result, they’ve shifted Jakub Skarek to Bridgeport.  He is their only other goaltender that isn’t currently up with the Isles.  Defenseman Thomas Hickey has also been shifted to the taxi squad after being scratched for their opener.
  • The Sharks have shifted four players around.  Defensemen Nicolas Meloche and Nikolai Knyzhov were both sent to the taxi squad after serving as their third pairing in their opener.  Meanwhile, wingers Jeffrey Viel and Fredrik Handemark were both sent to AHL San Jose.  With five healthy blueliners on the roster, at least one of the blueliners will soon be recalled again.
  • The Maple Leafs recalled Alexander Barabanov from their taxi squad prior to tonight’s game against Ottawa.  Defenseman Mikko Lehtonen was sent to the taxi squad, making the swap a cap-neutral move as both players are receiving the maximum entry-level salary.
  • Tyler Johnson is back on the NHL roster after being recalled from the taxi squad, as is defenseman Luke Schenn and both are in their lineup against Chicago.  Meanwhile, blueliner Andreas Borgman was loaned to the taxi squad.  He cleared waivers back on Tuesday but had remained on the Lightning’s roster until now.

Sharks Place Radim Simek On IR

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While San Jose was hoping that blueliner Radim Simek would be available for their season-opening set against Arizona, it appears that won’t be the case as Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News notes (Twitter link) that the blueliner has been placed on injured reserve retroactively.  Simek had been complaining about lingering knee soreness even after undergoing surgery last year and it appears it’s enough to hold him out for at least a couple of games to start.

The 28-year-old is in the first season of a four-year, $9MM deal signed last year after putting up two goals and seven assists in 49 games in 2019-20 while logging 17 minutes a night.  Defenseman Nicolas Meloche has been recalled from the taxi squad to give the Sharks seven healthy defenders on the roster.

San Jose announced several other transactions as well today.  Wingers John Leonard and Noah Gregor were both recalled from the taxi squad as well.  With three players coming up, they opted to fill two of the vacant spots as they promoted Sasha Chmelevski and Jeffrey Viel from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/13/21

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As reported earlier, beginning today, and each day for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, the NHL will be sharing the names of players who are “unavailable” to play or practice due to any number of factors that place them under the league’s COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list of players for today, Wednesday, January 13:

F Lawson Crouse, Arizona Coyotes
F Karson Kuhlman, Boston Bruins
D Erik Johnson, Colorado Avalanche
F Mikko Koivu, Columbus Blue Jackets
D Christian Djoos, Detroit Red Wings
F Darren Helm, Detroit Red Wings
F Gaetan Haas, Edmonton Oilers
F James Neal, Edmonton Oilers
D Markus Nutivaara, Florida Panthers
D Kurtis MacDermid, Los Angeles Kings
G Cal Petersen, Los Angeles Kings
D Sean Walker, Los Angeles Kings
G Alex Stalock, Minnesota Wild
F Mikael Granlund, Nashville Predators
D Luca Sbisa, Nashville Predators
F Justin Richards, New York Rangers
D Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers
F Kasperi Kapanen, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Maxim Letunov, San Jose Sharks
D Jordie Benn, Vancouver Canucks
F J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks
F Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets

*NOTE: The league declined to list any specific members of the Dallas Stars at this time. The team is currently recovering from an extensive breakout.

Bankruptcy Filing Warns Evander Kane May Opt Out Of 2020-21 Season

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Tuesday: Obviously without commenting on any of his player’s personal financial issues, San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner tells Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports “I don’t think we’re worried” about Kane’s availability this season, nor his ongoing bankruptcy case becoming a distraction. Boughner stated that Kane “seems ready to go” and that “I am assured that he will be here for the whole season.” Of course, the status quo could still change given the ongoing proceedings, but as of right now there does not appear be any risk of missed time. This would lend itself to the idea that Kane’s inclusion of his contractual rights in his bankruptcy filing was a required or otherwise strategic move and less of an actual threat.

Monday: In the middle of a wild and seemingly unrelated story pertaining to San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, a small note in a legal document could have a major impact on the Sharks’ season. As detailed by The Athletic’s Daniel Kaplan, Kane filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in federal court in San Jose on Monday, citing $26.8MM in dept. In detailing his income, a current seven-year, $49MM contact signed with San Jose in 2018, Kane issues this warning:

Debtor may terminate his contract and he may opt out of the season, as allowed under current rules, because of health concerns given the recent birth of his first child. Should he terminate his contract or opt out at a point in the season, Debtor will not receive his salary.

Now, Kane is not going to terminate his contract with the Sharks. The deadline to opt out of the season, which begins in just two days, was this past Saturday, January 9. However, if Kane’s decision to opt out is motivated by health concerns related to his family, there is already precedent that he will be allowed to do so. Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask opted out of the 2020 postseason after it had already began due to concerns over his own daughter’s health. Kane would not need to terminate his deal to get out of playing this season and that’s unlikely the outcome the Sharks would pursure anyway.

That of course does little to comfort Sharks fans. After a season in which San Jose struggled greatly despite a strong roster on paper, there was hope for a rebound this year. They now face the possibility that the player who was arguably their very best in 2019-20 could miss the new campaign. Kane led the Sharks with 26 goals and was second in total scoring with 47 points, all while missing six games due to injury. He was also the only effective trigger man on the power play, notching 14 power play goals of San Jose’s 33 total. Replacing that offense would be next to impossible for the Sharks. The physical Kane was also expected to pick up some of the slack in the checking game left behind by the departures of Brenden Dillon and Barclay Goodrow. 

Kane clearly has more on his mind than the Sharks’ hopes for the season, what with a newborn daughter as well as a a bankruptcy case that cites gambling debts, civil lawsuits, and claims from upwards of 47 creditors. However, missing the season certainly won’t help the latter and in the long run won’t help the former. All involved are definitely hoping that the resolution to this whole situation involves Kane suiting up for the San Jose this season. His full participation in training camp as well as the unknown intricacies of what he was required to disclose in the bankruptcy filing lend hope that this will be the outcome, but the end result remains to be seen.

Several Players Claimed Off Waivers

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With the sheer number of players on waivers yesterday, you could bet at least a couple would be claimed by teams in need of added depth. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Carolina Hurricanes have claimed Anton Forsberg (EDM), the San Jose Sharks have claimed Rudolfs Balcers (OTT), the New Jersey Devils have claimed Eric Comrie (WPG) and the Nashville Predators have claimed Luca Sbisa (WPG). The rest of the 100+ players have all cleared.

Forsberg, 28, returns to the organization he played for last season, an interesting move given the Hurricanes did not re-sign him in the offseason. The veteran goaltender has spent time with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks as well but has been limited to minor league duty for most of the past two years. In 2019-20 he played three games for the Hurricanes, posting an .897 save percentage. In the minor leagues, he had a .905. Forsberg will likely serve as the team’s third goaltender this season but would have to clear waivers in order to go to the taxi squad. Perhaps the team believes they can slip him through in a few days after carrying three goaltenders for the first part of the season.

The Oilers now must find another option for their own taxi squad, though Dylan Wells or Stuart Skinner could fill that role for the time being. Both goaltenders are waiver-exempt, though they were destined to fill the net in the minor leagues this season. The Hurricanes did put Alex Nedeljkovic on waivers today, though with the complicated salary cap dance the Oilers are performing they may not be able to fit him in on the NHL roster at this point.

Balcers, 23, is also rejoining a familiar organization, heading back to the team that drafted him in 2015. The young Latvian forward was part of the Erik Karlsson deal in 2018 and has played 51 games for the Senators over the last two seasons. His name was a surprising one on waivers yesterday, given how well he has played in the minor leagues so far in his short career. Balcers has 115 points in 143 career AHL games, including 56 goals. For a team still just barely turning the corner on a rebuild, it’s hard to watch a young prospect disappear for nothing.

Where he fits into the San Jose lineup isn’t clear at all, but Balcers is worth a claim if you believe that he can still become a regular in the NHL. The Sharks need young talent as badly as anyone.

Comrie becomes the answer in New Jersey, where the Devils suddenly lost Corey Crawford to retirement and needed some depth at the goaltending position. Whether he can actually help them at the NHL level is still to be determined, given the 25-year-old goaltender has just an .868 save percentage in eight career games. Comrie has been an excellent option for the Manitoba Moose however, including posting a .918 save percentage last season after returning to the Jets organization (he was claimed by Arizona, traded to Detroit, and then claimed back by the Jets all in the span of a few months during the 2019-20 season).

Sbisa is an interesting one, given his long history at the NHL level. The 30-year-old defenseman has played in 548 games over a long career, including 44 last season with the Jets. As we wrote last month, the Predators were in dire need of another depth defenseman if only to provide some injury insurance this season and they’ve now found just the player. Sbisa can come in and out for them whenever needed but costs very little with an $800K contract. Still, Jarred Tinordi may end up the casualty here, though it seems likely he would clear waivers if necessary.

Training Camp Cuts: 01/12/21

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It’s the last day before NHL hockey returns, so teams will have to finalize their rosters and get ready for action. Though most of the heavy lifting was done yesterday, there will still be some cuts made today. We’ll keep track of them right here. This page will be updated throughout the day as more releases come in.

Buffalo Sabres (via team release):

F Andrew Oglevie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Arttu Ruotsalainen (to Rochester, AHL)
D Jacob Bryson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Mattias Samuelsson (to Rochester, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (via team release):

F Jeremy Bracco (to Chicago, AHL)
F David Cotton (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jason Cotton (to Chicago, AHL)
F Seth Jarvis (to Chicago, AHL)
F Stelio Mattheos (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jamieson Rees (to Chicago, AHL)
F Sheldon Rempal (to Chicago, AHL)
F Drew Shore (to Chicago, AHL)
F Spencer Smallman (to Chicago, AHL)
F Ryan Suzuki (to Chicago, AHL)
D Joey Keane (to Chicago, AHL)
D Maxime Lajoie (to Chicago, AHL)
G Antoine Bibeau (to Chicago, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (via team release):

F John Quenneville (to Rockford, AHL)
D Anton Lindholm (to Rockford, AHL)
D Nick Seeler (to Rockford, AHL)
G Matt Tomkins (to Rockford, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (via team release):

F Riley Barber (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Kyle Criscuolo (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Turner Elson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Taro Hirose (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Chase Pearson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Evgeny Svechnikov (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Dominic Turgeon (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Joe Hicketts (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Brian Lashoff (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Kaden Fulcher (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Pat Nagle (released)

Montreal Canadiens (via team release):

F Brandon Baddock (to Laval, AHL)
F Alex Belzile (to Laval, AHL)
F Joseph Blandisi (to Laval, AHL)
F Laurent Dauphin (to Laval, AHL)
F Jacob Lucchini (to Laval, AHL)
F Joel Teasdale (to Laval, AHL)
F Lukas Vejdemo (to Laval, AHL)
F Jordan Weal (to Laval, AHL)
D Otto Leskinen (to Laval, AHL)
D Gustav Olofsson (to Laval, AHL)
D Xavier Ouellet (to Laval, AHL)
G Vasili Demchenko (to Laval, AHL)
G Michael McNiven (to Laval, AHL)
G Cayden Primeau (to Laval, AHL)
F Kevin Lynch (to Laval, AHL)

 

Philadelphia Flyers (via team release):

F Pascal Laberge (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Zayde Wisdom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Linus Sandin (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Tyson Foerster (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Matthew Strome (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Mason Millman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Chris Bigras (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Derrick Pouliot (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Egor Zamula (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Wyatte Wylie (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Felix Sandstrom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Max Willman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Roddy Ross (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (via team release):

F Kurtis Gabriel (to San Jose, AHL)
F Antti Suomela (to San Jose, AHL)
D Trevor Carrick (to San Jose, AHL)
D Nick DeSimone (to San Jose, AHL)
D Fredrik Claesson (to San Jose, AHL)

St. Louis Blues (via team release):

F Sam Anas (to Utica, AHL)
F Dakota Joshua (to Utica, AHL)
F Tanner Kaspick (to Utica, AHL)
F Hugh McGing (to Utica, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (to Utica, AHL)
F Jake Neighbours (to Utica, AHL)
F Evan Polei (to Utica, AHL)
F Nolan Stevens (to Utica, AHL)
F Nathan Walker (to Utica, AHL)
D Scott Perunovich (to Utica, AHL)
D Mitch Reinke (to Utica, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Utica, AHL)
D Tyler Tucker (to Utica, AHL)
D Jake Walman (to Utica, AHL)
G Evan Fitzpatrick (to Utica, AHL)
G Jon Gillies (to Utica, AHL)
F Matthias Laferriere (to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)

Vancouver Canucks (via team release):

F Jonah Gadjovich (to Utica, AHL)
F Lukas Jasek (to Utica, AHL)
F Kole Lind (to Utica, AHL)
F Will Lockwood (to Utica, AHL)
D Josh Teves (to Utica, AHL)
D Jett Woo (to Utica, AHL)
G Jake Kielly (to Utica, AHL)

Washington Capitals (via team release):

F Shane Gersich (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
F Phillippe Maillet (to Hershey, AHL)
D Lucas Johansen (to Hershey, AHL)
D Paul Ladue (to Hershey, AHL)
D Cameron Schilling (to Hershey, AHL)

San Jose Sharks Sign Fredrik Claesson To One-Year Deal

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Jan 11: The Sharks have officially announced the Claesson contract, while also placing him on waivers earlier today. GM Doug Wilson released a short statement:

Fredrik is a strong defensive player who has the ability to shut down the opposition quickly. His NHL experience provides value to our organization’s defensive depth. We are happy to have him.

Jan 10: The San Jose Sharks have added some depth on their defense, signing free agent Fredrik Claesson to a one-year, two-way contract, according to CapFriendly. The deal includes a $700K NHL salary as well as $200K in the AHL, although $300K is guaranteed.

The 28-year-old Claesson has spent quite a bit of time in the NHL, having appeared already in 155 contests, but will be joining his fifth franchise already, including four teams in the last two years. A talented player, known for his hard slapshot, Claesson played 113 games with the Ottawa Senators, the team who drafted him, but due to defensive concerns, the team opted not to offer him a qualifying offer. He signed with the New York Rangers in July 2018 and played 37 games for them, but also wasn’t given a qualifying offer. He then signed with the Carolina Hurricanes last season, but never played for the NHL squad. He was traded at the trade deadline to the New Jersey Devils in the Sami Vatanen deal and played five games for New Jersey before play was suspended. The Devils did not bring him back.

Claesson’s addition could suggest that the team needs depth in their system. Top-four defenseman Radim Simek said several days ago that his knee continues to hurt from last season. The addition of Claesson would suggest the Sharks are worried about Simek and hope that Claesson can fill a void in their system. If Simek goes down for any time, it’s likely that second-year defenseman Mario Ferraro would move up into the top-four, opening a spot on the third pairing, where Claesson would at least get a shot.

Radim Simek Continuing To Deal With Lingering Knee Pain

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  • Sharks defenseman Radim Simek missed time with two separate knee issues last season, ultimately undergoing surgery. However, he told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News that the pain was coming back while skating in the spring and continues to linger in training camp.  Despite that, head coach Bob Boughner is confident that the 28-year-old will be good to go for opening night.  Even so, the fact that these issues are persisting is hardly ideal considering Simek is in the first season of a four-year deal that was signed last March.

NHL Will Not Require Blanket Quarantine Period For AHL Recalls

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Alongside the news of three teams opting out, four teams temporarily relocating, and realigned divisions for the coming season, more information continues to emerge following today’s AHL Board of Governors meeting. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that NHL clubs and their AHL affiliates have been informed that there will be no blanket quarantine period for player recalls and reassignments this season. Instead, quarantine measures will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis considering the totality of the circumstances. This will include team protocols, travel logistics, and accordance with local COVID-19 health guidelines.

As Johnston notes, this will make AHL recalls much easier for those teams whose affiliates share a city or even a state or province. Short, safe travel ability and uniform local policies will allow for much shorter quarantine periods. Teams in this situation may even ask their affiliate to maintain the same NHL-level of day-to-day quarantine protocols to make recalls even easier, perhaps even without any quarantine. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and San Jose Sharks (if and when the team returns home from Arizona) all share a city with their AHL affiliate, as do the New Jersey Devils temporarily. The Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins (temporarily), Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins all have their AHL affiliates within state or provincial lines as well.

For those teams with some distance between themselves and their minor league clubs, recalls could remain difficult. Especially for those Canadian teams whose affiliates remain in the U.S. – the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks – quarantine logistics will be a struggle. Johnston points out that for these teams and the American clubs with affiliates elsewhere in the country, travel will be a major obstacle. The one blanket policy for all NHL and AHL players this season is that a seven-day quarantine period is required following a commercial flight. This could also stand to effect any team on a long-term road trip that is desperate enough to make a recall.

However, while this policy will help a great number of teams, it is important to remember that  taxi squads were established for this season to reduce the reliance on AHL recalls, at least as a frequent measure. Regardless of each NHL team’s location relative to their AHL affiliate, most teams will largely use their six-man taxi squad for emergency substitutions and will have options in the meantime should they decide to recall a player who must quarantine.

San Jose Sharks Sign Tristen Robins To ELC

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Jan 1: The Sharks have officially announced the contract for Robins. GM Doug Wilson released a short statement on his young forward:

Tristen came off an impressive performance at the end of last season, scoring 16 points in the final nine games. His game has improved since he made the move to center, and his puck possession, pursuit and skating ability fit in our system of how we want to play moving forward. We are excited to have him a part of our organization.

Dec 30: The San Jose Sharks appear happy with their early 2020 draft picks. After signing first-round pick Ozzy Weisblatt in October and watching their first second-round pick Thomas Bordeleau lead the University of Michigan in scoring thus far, the Sharks have now signed their other second-rounder to an entry-level contract as well. CapFriendly reports that Tristen Robins has signed his three-year ELC with the standard $925K AAV.

Robins, 19, was a polarizing prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft. Seen by many as a second-round pick and others as a third- or fourth-round talent, with others not having Robins on their board at all, Robins’ early selection was at least a slight surprise to some. However, those who watched Robins in the WHL last season as he recorded 33 goals and 73 points in 62 games will understand the Sharks’ excitement. Robins’ deft stickhandling and offensive instincts were apparent with the Saskatoon Blades last season and and sent him moving up draft boards.

With that said, don’t mistake Robins’ contract with San Jose looking to rush him to the pros. While the team does have a need for right-shot forwards, they have depth, youth, and talent up front in the NHL and AHL and can allow Robins (and Wiesblatt) time to develop. However, the contract is a testament to their faith in Robins as a prospect and he could be challenging for a roster spot in a year or two.

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