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Archives for April 2021

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/21/21

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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

  • The Colorado Avalanche have several new additions to their taxi squad.  Their AHL affiliate announced that Martin Kaut, Keaton Middleton, Miikka Salomaki, and Adam Werner were all promoted to the taxi squad with Jayson Megna being sent down.  Those recalls were needed with the promotions of Jonas Johansson, Conor Timmins, and Kiefer Sherwood on emergency loans to the NHL roster, per CapFriendly.
  • The Minnesota Wild have recalled Nico Sturm from the taxi squad on an emergency basis, per CapFriendly.  The 25-year-old has six goals and four assists in 38 games played this season while logging a little less than 11 minutes per game.
  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled Joel Kellman on an emergency basis from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  He scored his first goal of the season back on Saturday and has played in six games so far.  Jacob Middleton was recalled to the taxi squad from the minors in a corresponding move.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights recalled Dylan Sikura to the taxi squad and then promoted him to the active roster later in the day, per CapFriendly.  Tonight will be his first NHL game of the year after playing in 47 contests with Chicago over parts of the last three seasons.

North Division

  • The Montreal Canadiens are flying Charlie Lindgren to Edmonton on a private charter to serve as the team’s taxi squad goaltender. Lindgren will not have to face quarantine restrictions, giving Montreal another goalie to help out while Carey Price is dealing with a concussion.  Cayden Primeau was recalled from the taxi squad to take Price’s place, per CapFriendly.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled James Neal from the taxi squad while also activating Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off injured reserve.  Neal is likely taking the place of Jujhar Khaira on the active roster after he was shaken up early in Monday’s game against Montreal.  Nugent-Hopkins, meanwhile, has missed the last two weeks with a concussion.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have sent Ashton Sautner and Michael DiPietro back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both players had been up on emergency recalls as Vancouver is missing several players due to injuries and COVID-19.  Guillaume Brisebois was also sent to the minors.

Central Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have once again flipped Kevin Boyle and Kaden Fulcher between the taxi squad and AHL, with the latter joining the Grand Rapids Griffins this time. The team consistently swaps their depth goalies back and forth to keep them playing.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have returned Jake Bean, Morgan Geekie, and Max McCormick to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The three are no strangers to being shuffled back and forth and as they were all up on emergency recall, they won’t count against Carolina’s limit if they’re needed again for tomorrow’s game against Florida.
  • The Dallas Stars have sent Ty Dellandrea and Taylor Fedun back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both players were recalled yesterday on emergency loans although Dellandrea was the only one who suited up against Detroit.
  • The Nashville Predators have brought up Tanner Jeannot from the taxi squad while sending Philip Tomasino back to the AHL from the taxi squad.  Jeannot has two goals in six games this season while Tomasino has 20 points in just 18 games in his first professional season.

East Division

  • After bringing them both up yesterday, the New Jersey Devils have sent Brett Seney and Nate Schnarr back to the AHL. Schnarr, 22, is still waiting for his first chance at the NHL level but has six goals and 11 points in 20 games for the Binghamton Devils this year.  Connor Carrick and Matt Tennyson were also sent back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Mason Millman to the taxi squad from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Millman, 19, is one of the prospects who should have gone back to the OHL, had the junior league ever been able to start this season. He’ll get a taste of NHL life will on the taxi squad, though it is unlikely he actually gets into a game.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have loaned Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 22-year-old is viewed as their potential starter of the future and despite having a tough year in the minors, he’s expected to make his NHL debut in the coming days.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Latest On Nikita Zadorov, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks were reportedly listening to offers for defenseman Nikita Zadorov at the NHL Trade Deadline, but ultimately decided not to move him. However, that doesn’t mean that the two sides will stay together for much longer. As Ben Pope writes for the Chicago Sun-Times, the Blackhawks have dropped some hints that they are not content with the big blue liner and time is running out for him to prove himself.

Zadorov, 25, is in his first season in Chicago after coming over from the Colorado Avalanche in the Brandon Saad trade this past off-season. The Blackhawks hoped that Zadorov would step into a lineup that was missing many difference-makers on the back end and would transform into a bona fide top pair defenseman. While Zadorov has still been impressive as a physical force and solid defender, there has not been much else to praise about Zadorov’s game this season. He has been firmly entrenched as a second-pair defender in terms of time on ice, is fifth in defensive scoring and even lower in per-game production, and is on pace for a career-high in giveaways, even in a shortened season. Zadorov has merely continued to play the same role in Chicago as he did in Colorado, that of a complementary stay-at-home defenseman. While that is not without value, it isn’t what was expected of the 2013 first-round pick and may not be worth the cost to the Blackhawks. The team has not-so-subtly expressed their frustration recently, acquiring a younger and similar style of defender in Riley Stillman and then making Zadorov a healthy scratch on deadline day after discussing him with other teams beforehand.

This off-season, Zadorov presents a number of challenges to Chicago. The impending restricted free agent will need a new contract, which at a minimum will require a $3.2MM qualifying offer. However, despite his underwhelming effort this season, Zadorov can probably argue for making more than that and has the option to file for arbitration to support that claim. The problem for the Blackhawks is that they have very few contracts coming off the books this off-season and are projected to have limited cap flexibility to make other moves. Retaining Zadorov at a higher number even further reduces that cap space without making a material change to their roster, which is only a fringe playoff team this season. A potential arbitration case makes using their cap space even more problematic. If the relatively young blue liner demands a long-term deal as well, that becomes an issue with a number of young players already pushing for play time. Beyond the actual contract, the only way that Chicago can ensure that they even retain Zadorov’s RFA rights beyond July 21 is to protect him in the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft. With Duncan Keith and Connor Murphy as virtual locks to be protecting, adding Zadorov to that group would mean exposing valuable veteran Calvin de Haan and the recently-acquired Stillman. Yet, if they don’t protect Zadorov he could very easily be selected and lost for nothing.

In order to avoid a difficult expansion decision and possible contract battle and arbitration case, the Blackhawks may decide to re-ignite trade talks for Zadorov once their season has come to an end. Until then, Pope notes that Zadorov will be given every chance to prove that he is worthy of a longer look in Chicago. With de Haan and Adam Boqvist currently injured and the Blackhawks fighting for a playoff spot, Zadorov has the chance to step up and finally show that he can be a complete top-four defenseman. If he succeeds, perhaps all of the off-season issues fall by the wayside in favor of keeping a rare physical specimen and good young defender at all costs. However, if he falters then the partnership between the Blackhawks and Zadorov could be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Minor Transactions: 04/20/21

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As seasons continue to come to a close in Europe, moves are being made that have NHL ramifications. Some hint toward a player making the jump to North America, while others cement the opposite, and still even more remain ambiguous. Today in particular, a number of NHL prospects have left their current clubs, opening up possibilities for what move may come next:

  • Los Angeles Kings prospect forward Martin Chromiak isn’t leaving anyone guessing. The 2020 pick has spent this season at home in Slovakia, but played in the OHL last year and has now returned to North American in short order with his season over. The AHL’s Ontario Reign, affiliate of the Kings, have signed Chromiak to an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of the season, reports L.A. beat writer John Hoven. This could potentially lead to an entry-level deal for next season for Chromiak or could simply be the first step toward returning to the OHL or perhaps even the AHL next season. Either way, things are looking up for Chromiak, who unfortunately is most well-known right now for his precipitous drop in the 2020 NHL Draft. A near-consensus second-round pick entering the draft, NHL teams clearly disagreed with the draft pundits on Chromiak, who fell to L.A. in the fifth round. Now with a chip on his shoulder and a nice Slovakian season behind him, Chromiak is ready to prove himself in North America.
  •  Two Dallas Stars prospects could be on their way to North America shortly as well. Following their loss in the SHL quarterfinals, Farjestad BK has announced the departures of a number of players. Among them were the Stars’ 2018 and 2019 third-round picks, Oskar Back and Albin Eriksson. Both are big, strong, well-rounded forwards with several years of SHL experience and seem likely to be looking for a new challenge. Farjestad did not state definitively that the duo were set to sign their NHL entry-level contracts, but it is a safe assumption. More uncertain is what the next move might be for defenseman Linus Arnesson, who was also among the list of departures. Arnesson, 26, is still property of the Boston Bruins, who selected him in the second round in 2013. Arnesson spent a few seasons in the AHL early in his career before returning home to Sweden, but may be looking for a second chance after improved play in the SHL over the past four years. He may also just be looking to capitalize as a free agent in Sweden.
  • It was not all bad news out of Farjestad, as they did announce a new three-year extension with former Chicago Blackhawk Victor Ejdsell. The hulking center never quite did find his place in North America, but has been very productive for Farjestad over the past two years. At 25, a three-year deal does not eliminate the chances that Ejdsell could make an NHL comeback, but it does become more unlikely. A native of Karlstad, where Farjestad plays, Ejdsell called the team his “home” in the press release and may be committed long-term to the club.
  • Two coveted young players are leaving Swedish second-tier club MODO, but it is unclear what is next for either one. MODO has announced that William Wallinder and William Stromgren will not return to the team next season. Wallinder was the first pick in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, going No. 32 overall to the Detroit Red Wings. A big, but smooth-skating defender who played a major role for MODO as a teenager, Wallinder may already be prepared for the North American pros. Stromgren is a 2021 draft-eligible prospect with a similar late-first/early-second draft stock to Wallinder. The big sniper is more likely than Wallinder to stay in Sweden for another year or two, but could also be tempted to play in the CHL next season. The team who selects him in the upcoming draft will have a say as well.

Spencer Knight To Debut For Florida Panthers

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If it wasn’t already appointment viewing whenever the 29-12-5 Florida Panthers hit the ice, tonight will bring even more excitement and intrigue. Spencer Knight, one of the very best goaltending prospects in the world, will make his NHL debut at the tender age of 20. Head coach Joel Quenneville confirmed that the young netminder would be starting tonight, saying “he’s ready for it. Looking forward to seeing how he handles it.”

For breaking a new goaltender into the league, there may be no better opponent than the Columbus Blue Jackets these days. The team has lost six in a row and fallen below the Detroit Red Wings for last place in the Central Division. All things equal the Panthers should be able to handle Columbus with almost anyone in net, though that certainly won’t calm any of the nerves for Knight.

Selected 13th overall in 2019, Knight absolutely dominated in his two years at Boston College, posting a 39-12-3 record in 54 games and registering a .931 save percentage. He was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award this year and backstopped the U.S. World Junior squad to a gold medal. Knight is big–he stands a legitimate 6’3″–athletic and usually seems ahead of the play as he slides fluidly around the crease. All of those skills will be tested at the NHL level, but as Quenneville says, he’s ready for it.

The most interesting part of this debut coming so soon though is what it means for the Panthers going forward. The team is locked into Sergei Bobrovsky at a $10MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season and the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has played well of late, seemingly rediscovering his game after a brutal year. Still, the inconsistency he has shown during his time in Florida has to be worrying to the new front office, which has their eyes set on contending for a Stanley Cup not only this year but for the next several. If Knight (or Chris Driedger, who has significantly outplayed Bobrovsky but is a free agent at the end of the season) can take the reins, even a huge contract shouldn’t stand in his way.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/20/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:

Colorado – Philipp Grubauer, Joonas Donskoi, Mikko Rantanen*
Edmonton – Dmitry Kulikov
Montreal – Erik Gustafsson
New Jersey – P.K. Subban*
Toronto – Nick Foligno, Ben Hutton

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jon Merrill, Montreal Canadiens; Jackson Cates, Philadelphia Flyers; Riley Nash, Toronto Maple Leafs

The Avalanche had Bowen Byram come off the list yesterday and appeared on their way to clearing the board, but Rantanen’s appearance will complicate matters. The hope was that Colorado could get back to practice tomorrow after their recent postponements, but it is not clear if that plan will now be pushed. Again, it’s important to recognize that Rantanen’s appearance here does not necessarily mean he has tested positive.

*denotes new addition

Carey Price In Concussion Protocol

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After leaving last night’s game following the first period, it wasn’t clear exactly what the prognosis was for Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price. He wasn’t on the ice for this morning’s practice either, and now head coach Dominque Ducharme has explained that his starting netminder has been placed in the concussion protocol and will be out at least a week.

Jake Allen, who finished last night’s game, and Cayden Primeau were the goalies on the ice today. It appears as though they’ll have to carry the load for a little while.

Although he played out the period, Price did have his head contacted by Alex Chiasson early on. That is where Ducharme believes the concussion occurred, but at any rate, the team will have to go without their high-priced netminder.

It’s been a brutal year for Price overall, with a 12-7-5 record and .901 save percentage through 25 appearances. He has been steadily outplayed by Allen, who was supposed to be the clear backup but now takes over as the obvious number one until Price is cleared to return. Even then, as much as they don’t want to admit it, the Canadiens have a controversy brewing as the playoffs approach. A recent concussion for Price will only strengthen the case to have Allen in net for game one, should Montreal hold onto the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division.

As for Primeau, who now steps into a backup role, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports tweets that the young goaltender is expected to make his season debut against the Calgary Flames later this week. He has been recalled to the NHL squad under emergency conditions and will likely start one of the back-to-back matches on Friday/Saturday.

Nashville Predators Sign Marc Del Gaizo

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2:10pm: The Predators have made it official, signing Del Gaizo to his entry-level deal. The contract will start next season and according to PuckPedia, it carries a cap hit of $851K.

12:40pm: It’s been a pretty good few weeks for Marc Del Gaizo. After helping UMass to the national championship, the college defenseman is closing in on a deal with the Nashville Predators according to Frank Seravalli of TSN. When signed, the three-year entry-level deal will begin in 2021-22 and Del Gaizo will join the Chicago Wolves on an amateur tryout for the rest of the season.

The 21-year-old Del Gaizo was selected 109th overall in 2019 after a spectacular freshman season. Playing alongside Cale Makar and forming one of the most impressive pairs in the entire nation, Del Gaizo put up 13 goals and 29 points in that freshman campaign, earning Hockey East All-Rookie honors in the process.

Though the numbers have come down a bit since Makar’s departure, there certainly hasn’t been a significant drop-off from Del Gaizo’s play. The somewhat undersized defenseman has recorded 29 points in 49 games over the last two seasons while taking on even more responsibility. His future has gone from mid-round afterthought to real NHL prospect in a hurry, though there is still some polishing left to do at the minor league level.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/20/21

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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

  • Jayden Halbgewachs has been returned to the AHL by the San Jose Sharks as he continues to wait for his first NHL opportunity. The 24-year-old has been up and down all season but has still only seen minor league action.

North Division

Central Division

  • The Detroit Red Wings have swapped Kaden Fulcher and Kevin Boyle between the taxi squad and AHL, with the latter heading back to the Grand Rapids Griffins. That’s not the only move though; Mathias Brome has also been moved to the taxi squad.
  • The Nashville Predators have reassigned Tanner Jeannot to the taxi squad, one of their normal off-day moves. The Predators will be back in action tomorrow against the Blackhawks and Jeannot may well be back on the active roster by then.
  • The Dallas Stars have recalled rookie forward Ty Dellandrea and veteran defenseman Taylor Fedun from the taxi squad. Fedun would be making his season debut if he draws into the lineup, while Dellandrea has five points in 25 games so far this season.

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Max Domi To Be A Healthy Scratch For Blue Jackets

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April 20: After their loss last night, the Blue Jackets will again scratch Domi in the rematch this evening. The only change, according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda, is Dean Kukan going in for Andrew Peeke. It appears as though the 26-year old Domi is firmly in the doghouse.

April 19: Players on the Columbus Blue Jackets have exactly ten games remaining to make a case for themselves heading into what could be a turbulent offseason. Well, at least most of them have ten games. As Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports, Max Domi won’t be in the lineup tonight for Columbus, as he joins Mikhail Grigorenko and Scott Harrington as the team’s healthy scratches. The 26-year-old forward has lost his head twice in the past three games, earning himself four minor penalties and two misconducts, though head coach John Tortorella wouldn’t explain why he was putting him in the press box tonight.

Domi was supposed to help answer the question at center for the Blue Jackets after the team acquired him in exchange for Josh Anderson in the offseason. It gave them a relatively young 1-2 punch when combined with Pierre-Luc Dubois, who was just coming into his own after an excellent postseason bubble. Now, just a few months into the season, Dubois is in Winnipeg and Domi is watching as a scratch. The Blue Jackets have come undone, losing their last five and selling off key pieces at the deadline, including captain Nick Foligno.

After a 2018-19 campaign that saw Domi record 28 goals and 72 points, it appeared as though he was back on top as one of the up-and-coming talents in the NHL. His offensive skill combined with a feisty, physical nature, made him an uncommon player in today’s NHL. Though his 44-point 2019-20 campaign can’t be called a complete disaster, it certainly wasn’t the same level, leading the Canadiens to trade him in the offseason as a restricted free agent. The Blue Jackets signed him to a two-year, $10.6MM deal, one which will carry a $6MM salary next season.

After that, Domi will hit unrestricted free agency, which means this summer he will be considered a trade candidate once again. Seven goals and 19 points through 44 games isn’t good enough for a player making that kind of salary, and Tortorella has never seemed completely comfortable with him in the middle of the ice. In fact, after averaging more than 17 minutes a night in each of his two seasons with Montreal, Domi has eclipsed that mark just nine times this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Roberto Luongo Named GM Of Team Canada

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After a year where almost every international hockey event was canceled, things are getting back to normal soon. The IIHF World Championships are scheduled for May 21 – June 6 in Riga, Latvia, where teams including many playoff-eliminated NHL players will represent their respective countries. Canada has announced its management team for the event today, with an interesting name at the top.

Roberto Luongo has been named general manager, with Shane Doan and Scott Salmond assisting him as part of the management group. Both Luongo and Salmond are part of the Olympic management group as well for Canada, meaning this is something of a test run for the bigger event. Tom Renney, CEO of Hockey Canada, released a statement explaining the decision:

Hockey Canada is excited to have Roberto lead our management group at the IIHF World Championship this year, and to continue to work with our entire Olympic management team as we continue to prepare for the 2022 Olympics. We are also fortunate to have Shane and Scott contribute as assistant general managers; both individuals bring a wealth of experience to Canada’s National Men’s Team. Roberto, Shane and Scott bring a strong combination of NHL and international experience, both on and off the ice, and they will complement each other as we work towards building a team that can compete for a gold medal.

Luongo certainly brings international experience. The former goaltender competed at two World Juniors, four World Championships, three Olympic Games and a World Cup over his long, exceptional career. He’ll now have to do his best work off the ice, selecting and convincing the best available players to compete in the spring tournament.

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