Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/21/21
It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Craig Anderson from the taxi squad while replacing him with Connor McMichael. The team of course is dealing with a breach of COVID protocol by several top players, including goaltender Ilya Samsonov who will now be unable to practice or play for a certain amount of time. With Samsonov sidelined, Anderson will join Vitek Vanecek in the crease.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Michael McCarron, Philip Tomasino, and Ben Harpur from the AHL to the taxi squad, while sending Cole Smith from the taxi squad to the AHL. The 19-year-old Tomasino will be the most interesting name of the bunch after his excellent World Junior performance a few weeks ago. Selected in the first round, Tomasino is one of the top prospects waiting for the OHL to return and is currently eligible to play in the AHL.
- Morgan Barron and Matthew Robertson have both been assigned to the AHL from the New York Rangers taxi squad, giving them a chance to take part in minor league training camp. The pair of prospects are just starting their professional careers (with Robertson even eligible to return to the WHL) and need any development time available to them.
- Spencer Martin has been recalled to the Tampa Bay Lightning taxi squad, giving them an extra goaltender as Curtis McElhinney remains on the CPRA list. Martin, 25, has played just three games at the NHL level and none since the 2016-17 season.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled MacKenzie Entwistle and Reese Johnson from the AHL to the taxi squad. Johnson, 22, has yet to see an NHL game and had just eight points in 52 AHL games last season for the Rockford IceHogs. Entwistle meanwhile had a much better start to his pro career, scoring 26 points in 56 games last season for Rockford.
- In the wake of their injuries, the Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Samuel Morin from the taxi squad. Morin has experience at defense but has been training for a transition to wing to continue his career. He said during training camp that he had been watching Matt Martin and hoped to imitate that kind of impact.
- The Detroit Red Wings have added Taro Hirose to their taxi squad, recalling him from the AHL. The winger played in 26 games with Detroit last season, picking up two goals and five assists while adding 27 points (5-22-27) in 35 games with Grand Rapids. The spot on the taxi squad was opened up Wednesday when Kevin Boyle was sent to the Griffins.
Nine Players Placed On Waivers
After 25 players found themselves on waivers on Friday (23 of which cleared), it’s a smaller group of players on the waiver wire today. James Mirtle of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the following nine players have been waived:
Edmonton Oilers
Nashville Predators
D Alexandre Carrier
D Ben Harpur
G Kasimir Kaskisuo
D Tyler Lewington
F Sean Malone
F Michael McCarron
F Anthony Richard
Toronto Maple Leafs
All nine players have some NHL experience, ranging from one game for Malone and Kaskisuo to 127 for Hutchinson. The latter actually started last season as the backup in Toronto but struggled mightily before being waived and sent to the minors. He was flipped to Colorado before the trade deadline and as a result of injuries to both Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz, Hutchinson actually was the starter for the Avalanche by the time their postseason run came to an end. While he did relatively well, he still had to settle for a two-year, two-way deal that was ultimately signed to meet a pending expansion requirement.
Teams will have until 11 AM CT on Sunday to place a claim on any of these players. If they pass through, they’ll be eligible to be assigned to the minors or to the new taxi squads.
Michael McCarron Re-Signs With Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators have signed Michael McCarron to a new one-year, two-way contract for 2020-21. The deal will pay McCarron $700K at the NHL level and $300K in the AHL, keeping him from unrestricted free agency.
McCarron, 25, was a first-round bust for the Montreal Canadiens, who invested the 25th overall pick in him in 2013. The 6’6″ forward never did manage to improve his offense enough to really be a difference-maker at the NHL level, even struggling at times to produce at the minor league level.
Still, McCarron will provide some depth and experience for the Predators that can come up and down when needed, or add some size to the Milwaukee Admirals lineup. In 69 NHL contests, he has just eight points but did score 10 goals in just 27 games down the stretch for the Admirals last season.
McCarron was scheduled to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent, something that could happen again next season if he doesn’t play in ten games for the Predators.
Four Players Remain Eligible To Avoid Group VI Free Agency
With the end of the season quickly approaching, we now have clarification on most of the players that are eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency this offseason. The full list can be found here along with the breakdown of the criteria to reach this status. However, there are four players that could still avoid being in this situation which will be worth watching for over the last few weeks.
Colby Cave (Edmonton) – A year ago, it didn’t look like Cave would be in this situation. He spent the majority of 2018-19 in the NHL, getting into 52 games between Boston and Edmonton but failed to earn a regular role with the Oilers this season. Instead, he has played in 43 games with their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield this season and just 11 with the big club. That leaves him 13 games shy of remaining RFA eligible. While he won’t get there with regular season games, playoff games count as well and he’s likely to be up with them for their playoff run. With AHL Bakersfield well out of playoff contention, he’s someone they could recall right away if they wanted to knock some games off before the postseason starts.
Mackenzie MacEachern (St. Louis) – Of the four, this is the likeliest one to get to 80 and remain a restricted free agent as long as he doesn’t get injured in the near future. MacEachern has spent the entirety of the season in St. Louis, albeit in a limited role as he has averaged less than nine minutes a night in 48 games while spending a lot of time as a healthy scratch. Nonetheless, he’s just two NHL games shy of 80 and with the Blues comfortably in a playoff spot, they can afford to toss him on the fourth line a couple more times to secure his rights for another season.
Michael McCarron (Nashville) – The 2013 first-round pick saw NHL action in each of his first three pro campaigns but hasn’t since then. Instead, he has played a more limited role in the minors and a midseason trade from Montreal to Nashville hasn’t changed his fortunes much although he has nine goals in 26 games with AHL Milwaukee. He’s ten NHL games shy of 80 but barring a rash of injuries, he’s unlikely to make it back to the NHL this season or at least play enough to reach the threshold.
Boo Nieves (NY Rangers) – This is another one that didn’t seem likely a year ago. Nieves played in 43 games with New York in 2018-19 and did well enough that they gave him an early one-way contract extension to avoid him hitting the UFA market as a Group VI player last season. However, he has played in just four NHL contests this year which leaves him four shy of reaching 80. With the Rangers’ fourth line seeing limited minutes, it’s not crazy to think that they could bring Nieves up for a week or so to give him another look and ensure they keep his rights for next season.
If any of these players get to 80 total NHL games, they will be eligible for restricted free agency with salary arbitration eligibility this summer.
The Unleashed 2020: Potential Group VI Unrestricted Free Agents
Though most players have to wait until after their 27th birthday to become an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team in the league without compensation, there are a few other ways to get to the open market. Players that complete seven full seasons in the NHL are eligible for UFA status, as are restricted free agents that do not receive qualifying offers. There is another way however, offered to those players who don’t get a long opportunity in the NHL but have put in several years at the professional level: Group VI unrestricted free agency.
Earlier this month, CapFriendly compiled a complete list of players on track to become free agents early. To refresh your memory on how a player qualifies for Group VI free agency, they must meet three requirements:
- The player is 25 years or older (as of June 30th of the calendar year the contract is expiring).
- The player has completed 3 or more professional seasons – qualified by 11 or more professional games (for an 18/19 year old player), or 1 or more professional games (for a player aged 20 or older). This can include NHL, minor league, and European professional league seasons played while under an SPC.
- The player has played fewer than 80 NHL games, or 28 NHL games of 30 minutes or greater for a goaltender.
The entire list of players at risk can be found below, but make sure you check out CapFriendly for more detailed information on how they could avoid the designation this summer.
*Indicates that the player could still play in enough games this season to become ineligible for Group VI free agency
Anaheim Ducks
Andrew Poturalski
Justin Kloos
Arizona Coyotes
(none)
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
(none)
Calgary Flames
Ryan Lomberg
Rinat Valiev
Jon Gillies
Carolina Hurricanes
(none)
Chicago Blackhawks
(none)
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Gavin Bayreuther
Dillon Heatherington
Detroit Red Wings
(none)
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
(none)
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Laurent Dauphin
Gustav Olofsson
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Boo Nieves*
Vinni Lettieri
Danny O’Regan
Nick Ebert
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Riley Barber
Thomas Di Pauli
Adam Johnson
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Mackenzie MacEachern*
Andreas Borgman
Tampa Bay Lightning
Daniel Walcott
Patrick Sieloff
Spencer Martin
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
Liam O’Brien
Colby Williams
Tyler Lewington
Winnipeg Jets
Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators Make Minor Swap
Laurent Dauphin is on the move again, but this time it is much closer to home. The Nashville Predators forward has been traded to the Montreal Canadiens, the fourth trade of his young career. Dauphin is on a one-year two-way contract, signed last February with the Predators after they acquired him from the Arizona Coyotes. The Predators will receive Michael McCarron in return.
Originally selected by the Coyotes in the second round in 2013, Dauphin was first dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the Niklas Hjalmarsson trade. Then, just seven months later, he was sent back to Arizona as part of a swap that saw Richard Panik and Anthony Duclair switch teams. Through all of that he has only ever played in the NHL for the Coyotes, suiting up for 35 total games over parts of four seasons.
That lack of experience, plus the fact that Dauphin will turn 25 in March, likely means he’s ticketed for assignment to the Laval Rocket. He cleared waivers before the season began and can be sent directly to the AHL, where he’ll give the team another option at forward.
They’ll need it as the Canadiens organization finally moves on from McCarron after several years of frustration. The 25th overall pick in 2013, McCarron never did grow into an NHL talent even though his 6’6″ frame suggested he would be able to hold down a fourth line role at least. In 69 NHL contests he’s recorded just eight points but 110 penalty minutes, not exactly an ideal mix in today’s league.
Both players will see their contracts expire at the end of the year, and will actually become Group VI unrestricted free agents (unless McCarron finds a regular role in Nashville’s lineup). At this point, a deal of this nature is just a fresh start and a new fit.
Snapshots: Stecher, Rantanen, AHL Suspensions
The Vancouver Canucks are sitting at 5-3 through the early part of the season thanks to the strong play of some of their young players, but are still fifth in what is shaping up to be an extremely tough Pacific Division. With the improved roster, one player that has lost some of his ice time is Troy Stecher. He was the topic of discussion on TSN radio today because of a “rumbling” that host Jason Brough had heard about potential trade talks. Insider Bob McKenzie gave his take on the situation:
The same little rumble that you’ve heard, I think everybody has kind of heard it and [are] trying to figure out how much significance to attach to it. But the reality is that if [Tyler] Myers and [Chris] Tanev are both going to be healthy and play ahead of him, then probably you’re right. Then he’s probably not going to love third-pair minutes, and maybe he’s an asset that’s more valuable than that, though not on the Canucks.
McKenzie noted that if Stecher does become available there would likely be lots of teams interested, but was quick to explain how there might be an issue with how the Canucks would value him compared to what the offers may be. Through the first three years of his NHL career, Stecher has averaged close to 20 minutes a game for the Canucks, but has logged under 14 in six of eight games this season.
- Colorado Avalanche fans will have to hold their collective breath for one more day as the team will not issue an update on Mikko Rantanen‘s injury until Wednesday according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The star forward’s foot got caught on the ice last night and twisted his left leg awkwardly, taking him immediately out of the game. Rantanen was off to another blistering start to his season with 12 points in his first nine games (including one in the eight minutes he managed last night), and hopefully won’t be out long-term with this injury.
- The AHL has suspended several players for incidents over the last few days. Michael McCarron has been given a two-game ban for interference and Givani Smith has been suspended one game for clipping, while A.J. Greer and Jarred Tinordi have been given six and three games respectively for what happened on Saturday. Greer left the penalty box to fight Tinordi after already participating in a fight, meaning he actually earned himself three game misconducts and 40 penalty minutes all at once.
Jonny Brodzinski, Michael McCarron Placed On Waivers
Thursday: Both players have cleared waivers. McCarron was immediately sent to the minor leagues.
Wednesday: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the San Jose Sharks have placed Jonny Brodzinski on waivers today and he’ll be joined by Montreal Canadiens forward Michael McCarron. The Sharks needed to make room for Patrick Marleau, who is coming in on a one-year deal, while McCarron must be healthy enough to get back into game action after starting the year on season-opening injured reserve.
Brodzinski, 26, was brought in on a one-year, two-way contract after he became a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer and allowed to compete for a job with the Sharks. He ended up landing one and played in the team’s last two games, but rarely saw the ice and is now likely headed for the minor leagues. Brodzinski has dominated the minor leagues throughout his young career, but can’t seem to find much opportunity at the NHL level. Through 56 career games, he has 11 points.
McCarron meanwhile has been down this road before with the Canadiens, as he cleared waivers at the end of the 2018 training camp as well. The 2013 first-round pick has suited up in 70 games for Montreal over the years, but has just eight points and has had a tough time even securing a fourth-line role. Standing 6’6″ he would provide the diminutive Canadiens group with some size down the middle if he could ever figure things out, but at 24 years old time is running out for McCarron to become an impact player.
Ryan Poehling, Michael McCarron Injured
The Montreal Canadiens have announced some bad news on a pair of young forwards. Ryan Poehling has suffered a concussion and will be out indefinitely, while Michael McCarron will be out six weeks with a groin injury.
It is extremely unfortunate news for Poehling, who was looking to build on his incredible debut from last season and lock down a full-time roster spot with the Canadiens. After finishing his season at St. Cloud State, Poehling signed his entry-level deal and got into one game with the Canadiens before the end of the year. The 20-year old center scored three goals in that NHL debut, making quite the impact on Montreal fans and creating excitement for his rookie season.
A concussion leaves him in question for the start of the season given the uncertain timeline that it brings, but hopefully he’ll be able to recover quickly and challenge for a spot in the lineup before long.
For McCarron, this is just another setback in what has been a frustrating career so far. Selected 25th overall in 2013, the 6’6″ forward has just 69 NHL games under his belt and has scored just eight points at that level. Even the minor leagues haven’t brought a ton of success, making it tough to see a very bright future for the former top prospect. Now 24, McCarron will have to really show some sort of improvement when he gets back from this injury in order to stay in the Canadiens plans.
Michael McCarron Re-Signs With Montreal
The last of the Montreal Canadiens’ restricted free agents is signed, as Michael McCarron has come to terms on a new deal with his team. The Canadiens reported a one-year, two-way extension with the forward. The deal carries a minimum $700K salary at the NHL level and a $125K salary at the AHL level, with $150K guaranteed. McCarron will be an RFA with arbitration rights again next summer, though he opted to not exercise those rights this offseason.
McCarron, 24, has had somewhat of a backwards pro career thus far. A 2013 first-round pick, McCarron was a rare prospect who had spent considerable time with both the U.S. National Team Development Program and at the Canadian major junior level, excelling in both places by using his massive 6’6″, 220-lb. frame at both ends of the ice. McCarron turned pro in 2015 and played in 20 games with Montreal as a rookie. He then played in 31 more with the Habs as a sophomore. However, while the team had given him more than a fair shake, the production had not matched the opportunity. By the end of 2017-18, a season spent mostly in the minors, McCarron had just eight points to show for 69 NHL games. As a result, he spent the entirety of this past season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket.
Montreal hopes that McCarron’s size and the scoring ability he has flashed in the minors will eventually come together into an effective NHL contributor. However, until that happens consistently in the AHL, McCarron is unlikely to be back with the Canadiens on a regular basis. CapFriendly currently projects the big right winger to be in the minors this season. He won’t be alone though; Montreal currently has 25 players listed on their NHL roster via CapFriendly, a number that will have to be thinned in training camp. It’s also fair to speculate that, with all of their RFA’s signed and cap space remaining despite the overloaded roster, that the Canadiens could go back on the hunt this off-season for yet another NHL piece, after a swing and a miss on their Sebastian Aho offer sheet.