Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/20/21

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:

West Division

• After clearing waivers, Michael Amadio has been sent to the taxi squad by the Los Angeles Kings. With that move made, the team then loaned Lias Andersson to Ontario of the AHL; the 22-year-old hasn’t seen any NHL action in more than a month.
• The Minnesota Wild have recalled Joseph Cramarossa from the taxi squad while sending Luke Johnson to the taxi squad. Cramarossa will make his Minnesota debut tonight; it will be his first NHL game in almost four years.
• The Colorado Avalanche have swapped backup goaltenders as their AHL affiliate announced that Hunter Miska has been sent down while Adam Werner was recalled to the Avs. Miska struggled in his last outing on Tuesday, allowing four goals on just seven shots to Anaheim before being pulled after the first period.
• It’s an even swap in Arizona, as the Coyotes have announced that two players have been recalled from the taxi squad while two others have been reassigned to the taxi squad. Forward Hudson Fasching and defenseman Jordan Gross will join the active roster, while forward Michael Chaput and goalie Ivan Prosvetov will take a seat.
• The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned defenseman Josh Mahura directly from the active roster to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Mahura has played in 11 games for the Ducks this season, including each of their past eight, and has not looked out of place, but has seemingly been relegated back to the minors for the time being.

Central Division

• The Detroit Red Wings weren’t just calling Dennis Cholowski up to skate with the taxi squad. The young defenseman has now been placed on the active roster and is expected to make his season debut this evening against the Stars. The 23-year-old Cholowski actually already has 88 games at the NHL level and was playing extremely well for the Grand Rapids Griffins before this call-up.
• The Nashville Predators have brought up Alexandre Carrier and Ben Harpur from the taxi squad while sending Michael McCarron down to the taxi squad.  The three have frequently been involved in taxi squad moves for the past few weeks.
• Mark Pysyk has been placed on the Injured Reserve by the Dallas Stars, retroactive to March 11 when he initially suffered his current lower-body injury. Dallas will replace Pysyk with the options already on their active roster, as they have reassigned fellow defenseman Taylor Fedun to the taxi squad and filled their open roster spots by recalling a trio of forwards: Nick Caamano, Rhett Gardner, and Tanner Kero. 

East Division

• The New Jersey Devils have recalled Mikhail Maltsev and Nicholas Merkley to the active roster, while also bringing Gilles Senn up to serve as the taxi squad goaltender. The Devils will play the Pittsburgh Penguins this afternoon.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Colton Sceviour and Anthony Angello from the taxi squad in advance of that game against New Jersey. Sam Miletic has been recalled from the AHL to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.
• Anton Blidh has been returned to the AHL by the Boston Bruins, clearing a spot on the taxi squad and sending the 26-year-old back where he has spent most of the season. Blidh has five points in nine games for the Providence Bruins this year.
• The New York Rangers have swapped Mason Geertsen and Jonny Brodzinski, moving the former to the AHL and the latter to the taxi squad. Geertsen, 25, is still waiting to make his NHL debut but Brodzinski, 27, has already played four games for the Rangers this season.
• Several players are moving up the depth chart for the Philadelphia Flyers. Forward Carsen Twarynski and defenseman Nate Prosser have been promoted from the taxi squad to the active roster, while young Matthew Strome has been recalled to the taxi squad from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

North Division

This page will be updated throughout the day.