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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.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/14/21

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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 news each day.

  • The Vancouver Canucks have sent Loui Eriksson to the taxi squad and recalled Justin Bailey. Given Eriksson didn’t play last night for the Canucks this doesn’t come as much of a surprise and it will allow the team to bank slightly more daily cap space. Eriksson previously cleared waivers and could also be assigned to the AHL once it gets started.
  • Stuart Skinner has been recalled from the Edmonton Oilers taxi squad under emergency conditions, giving the team an extra goaltender for tonight’s action. Evan Bouchard meanwhile has been sent to the taxi squad, while Tyler Benson, who had previously been there, has now been assigned to the AHL.
  • Staying in Western Canada, the Calgary Flames have activated Derek Ryan from the taxi squad as expected, but he’s coming with some company. The team has also activated Louis Domingue who will serve as backup this evening while David Rittich deals with a family issue. With the extra space, Artyom Zagidulin has been added to the taxi squad from the AHL roster.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Cole Smith from the taxi squad while sending Lukas Craggs to the AHL. Craggs already played in eight games for the Florida Everblades, recording nine points early in the season but will now compete for playing time with the Chicago Wolves. Smith, who also played a handful of games for the Everblades to start the year, is in his first season of professional hockey after being signed out of the University of North Dakota.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have brought up a pair of players as Mathieu Perreault and Logan Stanley were recalled from the taxi squad.  Perreault cleared waivers earlier in the week so they will have the ability to shuffle him back and forth until he plays in 10 NHL games or is on the NHL roster for 30 days.  Stanley, meanwhile, was a first-round pick back in 2016 but has yet to suit up with the Jets.  Winnipeg also recalled defenseman Leon Gawanke from his loan to Berlin of the DEL.
  • The Montreal Canadiens assigned Jake Evans to the taxi squad.  He played a little under nine minutes in last night’s season-opener but with them off until the weekend, they’ll shuffle him down and bank a little bit of cap space.  The team has already announced its intent to recall him for their next game on Saturday.

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.

J.T. Miller And Jordie Benn Unavailable To Canucks To Begin Season

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Right after the NHL shares good news in the form of low positive testing numbers during training camp, COVID-19 rears its ugly head yet again. And in a major way for the Vancouver Canucks. GM Jim Benning announced this evening that forward J.T. Miller and defenseman Jordie Benn will not be available to the Canucks for the start of the new season as they comply with COVID-19 protocols. Benning did not provide a timeline as to when the pair will re-join the team, but promised more information will be shared soon

Benning did say that this is a reality that his team and many other will have to accept this season. Yet, it is still a harsh blow at the very outset of the new campaign. This may not be a matter of a few games’ absence, either. TSN’s Matthew Sekeres hears that Miller and Benn could miss a couple of weeks while quarantining. He adds that Miler has been staying with Benn which is likely how the two were exposed. GlobalBC’s Richard Zussman was told that one player has had a series of contradicting results and the other is considered a close contact.

Miller, 26, was Vancouver’s best player last season. He led the Canucks with 27 goals and 72 points and his presence was felt even when he wasn’t scoring as he posted a team-leading 59.2% face-off rate and 123 hits in 2019-20. Miller even led all forwards in ice time with over 20 minutes per night and it is easy to see why. The all-around power forward is a major loss for the Canucks as the hope to get off to a hot start. Benn, 32, plays more of a depth role for the Canucks but was to be relied upon to help acclimate rookies Olli Juolevi and Jack Rathbone to the NHL level. Other veterans will need to take on a greater role in his absence.

 

 

Vancouver Canucks Sign Travis Hamonic

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As expected, defenseman Travis Hamonic’s tryout with the Vancouver Canucks has proven successful. The team has announced a one-year, $1.25MM contract with Hamonic. TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal adds that Hamonic’s contract contains a No-Movement Clause.

Hamonic, 30, is not the player he once was, but he can still be an effective contributor and a great value for the Canucks so long as he can stay healthy. Hamonic has been a workhorse ever since entering the league, but in 2019-20, his tenth NHL season, he started to show signs of deterioration. The veteran missed 20 games due to various injuries and his play was effected even when he was healthy. He also has not seen game action since in close to a year after hitting the injured reserve in February and then opting out of the postseason.

Fortunately, Vancouver does not need to hand Hamonic major workload, at least not right away. With a deep stable of defensemen including rookie standout Quinn Hughes, new addition Nate Schmidt, and veterans Tyler Myers and Alexander Edler, Hamonic has time to settle in. Myers, a fellow right-handed shot, and Schmidt, who prefers to play on his off-hand side, may even slot in above Hamonic to begin the year, allowing the veteran to get up to speed with bottom pair minutes.

Don’t confuse the late timing of his signing as hesitation on the Canucks’ part, either. Hamonic’s signing, as well as the value of his contract, are strategic moves designed to take full advantage of forward Micheal Ferland’s LTIR placement and give the team maximum cap flexibility entering the new year. Hamonic has been linked to the Canucks for some time and this was always the result. Vancouver fans should be excited about the further strengthening of their defense corps.

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)

Evening Notes: Canucks, Stars, Reign

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The Vancouver Canucks entered Monday over the NHL’s salary cap upper limit. Yet, when waivers are completed tomorrow, the team will be in near-perfect shape regardless of the results. Spotted among the many names on waivers today were two veteran forwards from Vancouver: Loui Eriksson and Sven Baertschi. While any Canucks fan would like to see both claimed off waivers, there is almost no chance that either one will be moving elsewhere. Eriksson and his $6MM cap hit have failed to live up to expectations for four years now and no other team is likely to be willing to take a chance on the former All-Star. Baertschi and his own $3.37MM price tag were up for grabs on waivers multiple times last season and no one took a chance, leaving him buried in the AHL for much of the year. However, neither player needs to be claimed for the Canucks to benefit. Once both wingers clear waivers, they can be moved to the AHL or – more likely – the taxi squad. Their cap hits will thus be reduced by $1.075MM apiece for a total savings of $2.15MM. As CapFriendly points out, that is not only enough to get Vancouver back in the black relative to the cap ceiling; it will also leave them enough room to add a player on a minimum $700K salary back to the active roster. This is important, as it will bring the cap payroll as close to the upper limit as possible, allowing the team to take close to full advantage of Micheal Ferland’s Long-Term Injured Reserve placement. The savings of nearly $3.5MM will be used to sign defenseman Travis Hamonic and to replace one or two of the forward slots abandoned by Eriksson and Baertschi. Whether anticipated or not, it’s some impressive salary cap magic by GM Jim Benning and company.

  • The Canucks were also back at practice today after a COVID-19 scare on Sunday. Vancouver canceled all team activities yesterday in response to a possible exposure, but fortunately no players or staff have tested positive, per Sportsnet. The team is back on track and there are no further issues expected from this specific case of potential exposure.
  • Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars are still dealing with their Coronavirus issue. After six players and two staff members tested positive before Friday’s practice, the team shut down their facilities over the weekend and were not able to open back up today.  Their first three games of the season, on the road against the Florida Panthers twice and the first of two against the Tampa Bay Lightning, have already been postponed but the hopes is that their new opener, set for January 19 in Tampa, will go on as scheduled. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly tells Matthew DeFranks of The Dallas News that the league is prepared to do what needs to be done, but that they do feel the Stars are “at the end of that outbreak” and are now focused on how it occured initially. Daly added that medical personnel would decide when it is safe to re-open the facility and that all parties feel the 19th remains a fair goal for Dallas to be both healthy and well-prepared. DeFranks has since reported that Dallas will indeed return to practice on Tuesday, though all further camp sessions will be closed to the media.
  • The Ontario Reign, AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, have announced the hiring of Craig Johnson as an assistant coach for the club. The Reign already have a new head coach in John Wroblewski and now add another new face in Johnson, who is actually a familiar name to Kings fans who remember him from his seven season playing with the team in the late 90’s and early 00’s.  Johnson’s coaching experience is somewhat limited, serving as a head coach for local youth and high school teams in Southern California. However, he has also served as a development coach for the Kings over the past two seasons and briefly worked for the Reign previously in the ECHL back in 2010-11.

Snapshots: Yandle, Podkolzin, Cizikas, Grubauer

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While no decisions have been made yet or will be made in the coming weeks, Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville split his roster in practice, with the core of the team on one side and the fringe players on the other. One notable name on the wrong side of the ice was veteran defenseman Keith Yandle, who was working with the fringe players, according to FloridaHockeyNow’s George Richards.

Quenneville said those groups can change throughout this week, but he said he wants to see some of the team’s younger defensemen for a while. While it might be easy to dismiss a move like this, the team is trying to develop a better defense-first attitude, something that the highly-paid Yandle can struggle with at times. The 34-year-old blueliner still has three years remaining on his contract at $6.35MM per season, meaning there is a chance that Yandle may sit from time to time this season. Yandle’s playing time dropped last season under Quenneville after years of averaging more than 20 minutes. He averaged 19:42, almost three minutes less than the previous year.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman points out that this is worth keeping an eye on, especially since he is currently the top active player in the league in consecutive games with 866 and is fourth all-time.

  • The Vancouver Canucks are expected to sign and begin playing 2019 first-round pick Vasili Podkolzin later this season after his contract with KHL’s SKA-St. Petersburg expires on April 30. Of course after being a healthy scratch by SKA Saturday, rumors began that the 19-year-old Russian could be heading to Vancouver sooner than later. However, TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that there is no truth to the rumor. According to his sources, the plan remains to leave the forward with SKA for the remainder of the season.
  • Despite an injury prone season last year, New York Islanders forward Casey Cizikas was hoping for a healthy season in 2021. Cizikas missed time with a left leg laceration and then suffered a detached retina in the postseason bubble last season. However injuries keep hitting the fourth-line forward. Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that Cizikas went down Sunday in a team scrimmage. Linemate Matt Martin and Cizikas sandwiched defenseman Thomas Hickey along the boards during the scrimmage and Cizikas went down in pain. He was attended to on the ice, then on the bench and taken into the locker room after the game. “He’s getting checked out,” coach Barry Trotz said. “The first indication may be more positive than negative. But I don’t have a firm update.”
  • Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said he expects goaltender Philipp Grubauer to be the team’s starting goaltender entering the season and expects him and Pavel Francouz to split games 60/40, according to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. Bednar is confident that Grubauer, who missed the first three days of camp, will be ready for opening night.

Vancouver Canucks To Resume Practice Monday After Cancelling Practice

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7:13 p.m. – Sportsnet reports that the Canucks are expected to practice on Monday. The team cancelled practice due to an abundance of caution, but have cleared to team to return to the ice on Monday.

12:50 p.m. – The Vancouver Canucks announced they have cancelled practice and all workouts Sunday due to concern over potential COVID-19 exposure. The team will announce their schedule for Monday later today.

The Canucks are the fourth team to be have their training camp interrupted and the first in Canada. The Dallas Stars had the most serious outbreak with six players test positive for coronavirus, forcing the team to push back their season-opener. The Columbus Blue Jackets also shut down practice on the same day, but went back to work Saturday. The Pittsburgh Penguins cancelled practice Saturday, but are expected to scrimmage Sunday evening.

These types of shut downs could become a common safety precaution for multiple teams as they make sure that their players aren’t being exposed to the virus. Monday was supposed to be an off-day on the Canucks training camp schedule, meaning the team could make up practices then, if the team deems it safe.

Ben Hutton To Join Anaheim Ducks On PTO

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After losing some of their depth when the Detroit Red Wings claimed defenseman Christian Djoos on waivers Saturday and the injury to Brendan Guhle, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Anaheim Ducks are expected to sign unrestricted free agent Ben Hutton to a professional tryout agreement.

The 27-year-old blueliner, who spent last year with the Los Angeles Kings, has been a full-time player in the league for five years, four with the Vancouver Canucks. However, the Canucks opted not to offer Hutton a qualifying offer in 2019, prompting him to sign with the Kings and now leaving him on the free agent market. While hardly a top-four paring defenseman, Hutton provides solid depth as a third-pairing defenseman with both power play and penalty kill experience.

Regardless, Hutton has remained on the market through the offseason and training camp. Rumors that New Jersey and Boston were both interested in bringing the defenseman on board, but neither team pulled the trigger. Now Hutton will challenge for a spot on the Ducks roster.

Anaheim is set at the top four with Hampus Lindholm and Kevin Shattenkirk on the first pairing and Josh Manson and Cam Fowler on the second pairing. The third pairing is wide open with Jacob Larsson the leading candidate to take one of the final spots, while Hutton will likely fight it out with Jani Hakanpaa, Kodie Curran, Simon Benoit and Josh Mahura. Hutton also could eventually be put on waivers to be put onto the taxi squad, like the Ducks had hoped to do with Djoos. Considering no one was interested in signing Hutton to a PTO before, it would make sense that no one would claim him then.

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