Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/28/21

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 assigned defenseman Erik Brannstrom to the taxi squad. Brannstrom has been up and down this year and looks to be another game in which he will sit out of Ottawa’s lineup. The 21-year-old has two goals and two assists in nine games with Ottawa this season.
• The Calgary Flames returned Glenn Gawdin and Oliver Kylington to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The pair were recalled for Saturday’s game against Ottawa and will likely be brought back up for their next game against the Sens on Monday.
• The Montreal Canadiens assigned Paul Byron to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  It’s a move that has been made frequently since he cleared waivers earlier this month with him getting recalled on game days.
• The Winnipeg Jets assigned Logan Stanley to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  He was recalled for Saturday’s game against Montreal after Tucker Poolman was placed on IR.

East Division

• The Buffalo Sabres made several roster moves as the team announced they have recalled defenseman Brandon Davidson from the taxi squad. That roster spot on the taxi squad has been replaced by forward C.J. Smith, who was brought up from the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The team also assigned defenseman Jacob Bryson from the Sabres back to the taxi squad and moved Casey Fitzgerald from the taxi squad back to the AHL. Davidson has already appeared in two games for the Sabres this year.
• The New Jersey Devils announced they recalled forward Mikhail Maltsev from the taxi squad. To fill the open spot on the taxi squad, the Devils have recalled defenseman Connor Carrick from the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. The 22-year-old Maltsev has a goal in four games for New Jersey. He is expected to play and fill in for Nico Hischier, who is considered day-to-day.
• The Boston Bruins made several moves in advance of their game today against the Rangers, per CapFriendly.  Recalled from the taxi squad were Greg McKegg, Steven Kampfer, and Karson Kuhlman while going to the taxi squad were Trent Frederic, Urho Vaakanainen, and Kampfer (after the game was played).
• As has become a daily custom, the New York Rangers made several roster moves before their contest against Boston, per CapFriendly.  Recalled from the taxi squad were Igor Shesterkin, Libor Hajek, and Jonny Brodzinski.  Keith Kinkaid was sent back to the taxi squad while Tarmo Reunanen and Tim Gettinger were re-assigned to AHL Hartford.

Central Division

• The Columbus Blue Jackets assigned two taxi squad players to the minors. The team announced that it sent forwards Zac Dalpe and Ryan MacInnis to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Both players were recalled to the taxi squad on Thursday. The 31-year-old Dalpe has already played five games with Cleveland, posting three goals and four points. The 25-year-old MacInnis did appear in 10 NHL games with the Blue Jackets last year, but has also only appeared in five AHL games this year with a goal and an assist. UPDATE: The Blue Jackets have announced just a few hours later that both Dalpe and MacInnis have been recalled back to the taxi squad from Cleveland after the Cleveland Monsters game was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.
• The Detroit Red Wings have recalled defenseman Alex Biega from the taxi squad. The blueliner has been up and down all season between the Red Wings and the practice squad. The 32-year-old has appeared in just two NHL games this year.
• With the loss of Jarred Tinordi on waivers to the Boston Bruins, the Nashville Predators announced they have recalled defenseman Ben Harpur from the taxi squad. Harpur, who has been going up and down between the NHL and taxi squads this year, has found himself in the lineup the last three games, averaging 17:32 of ice time and looks like he will continue to stay in the lineup for now.
• The Dallas Stars have reassigned forward Rhett Gardner to the taxi squad. Gardner, also a player who has been up and down quite a bit this year, was recalled to Dallas Saturday. The 25-year-old has appeared in four games for Dallas.
• The Carolina Hurricanes have returned Alex Nedeljkovic and Jake Bean to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The two have been recalled and sent down frequently over the past month depending on whether or not the team playing that day.
• The Tampa Bay Lightning sent Andreas Borgman back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  With the team off until Tuesday, there’s no need for them to carry more than the minimum six defenders on their active roster.

West Division

• With a day off Sunday, the San Jose Sharks announced they have assigned forward Stefan Noesen and defenseman Jacob Middleton to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. The 28-year-old Noesen has appeared in five games for the Sharks with no points to show for it. Middleton has played in one game for the Sharks and two for the Barracuda as he still fights for a full-time role in the NHL.  They also sent Sasha Chmelevski, Noah Gregor, and Frederik Claesson to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
• The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned forwards Michael Chaput and Dryden Hunt to the taxi squad. The team also assigned Frederik Gauthier from the taxi squad to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL.
• The Colorado Avalanche returned Logan O’Connor and Dan Renouf to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both players suited up on Saturday against Arizona with Renouf playing his first NHL game since the 2016-17 season in the process.
• The Los Angeles Kings assigned Tobias Bjornfot and Lias Andersson to their taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The team also recalled Bokondji Imama from the taxi squad while assigning Drake Rymsha to AHL Ontario.
• The St. Louis Blues returned defenseman Jake Walman to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  He has played in just two games with the Blues this season, often serving as their emergency defender.
• The Vegas Golden Knights assigned Logan Thompson to the taxi squad along with Dylan Coghlan, per CapFriendly.  In a corresponding move, Dylan Ferguson was moved from the taxi squad back to Henderson of the AHL.