Going the other direction (NHL to AHL) though would require them to clear waivers…a risky transaction UNLESS those players are waiver exempt, which none of the Blues current roster players are. On the blue line, Tyler Tucker, Niko Mikkola, and Scott Perunovich are the only defencemen not on the active roster with waiver exemptions. Poganski was assigned to the taxi squad Sunday, Jim Thomas of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.. Poganski made his season debut Saturday, skating 8:49 in … With all of this being considered, some unique roster manipulation may be in order. The Taxi Squad, in essence, is simple enough. Mikkola is coming off his second year in the AHL, where he played 48 games in addition to a five-game stint with the Blues. There is also no real benefit to taking potentially valuable players on your roster and placing them on the Taxi Squad. Jordan Kyrou and Mackenzie MacEachern are back where they were expected to be when the season begins -- on the St. Louis Blues' 23-man active roster. 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Over the past three weeks, Blues forward Mackenzie MacEachern has regularly bounced between the team’s taxi squad and the main squad. Bouwmeester would go on to play at a high level for seven more seasons with the Blues, going to the postseason six times and winning a Stanley Cup, before retiring this past off-season. Over 3 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix. They are now in their late twenties and may serve well as guys looking to get the big club’s attention in an up-close and personal way. St. Louis recalled F Nathan Walker from the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets and assigned him to the taxi squad. It took only two games for the St. Louis Blues to make their first use of the roster apparatus that is designed to help teams get through a season of injuries and, presumably, pandemic-related issues. This includes creation of 4-6 man taxi squad. Santini is the third player to be recalled from Utica to the Blues’ taxi squad in the last week, joining forwards Dakota Joshua and Nathan Walker. Taxi! To start the likely candidates’ list, the apparent third man between the pipes is former Calgary Flames goalie and recent Blues signee Jon Gillies. Walker, 27, has appeared in … It’s hard to know which way each franchise will use their Taxi Squad. 1.7K Taxi squad is paid full AHL salary. Waiver-exempt players have the flexibility to be called up and send down freely which would seem a valuable factor. Dunn is a useful defenseman and a Stanley Cup winner who is not living up to his potential right now. He was there for one day only, in a paper move to help make the team cap compliant one day before the start of … The NHL told the Blues that its player safety department would not hold a hearing on the hit, indicating that it was within the rules, according to Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The Blues placed Bortuzzo on injured reserve with an upper body injury. Rosters and taxi squads that have been approved by the league from NHL.com.Salary projections from Puck Pedia.. Anaheim Ducks Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these TERMS OF USE and PRIVACY POLICY. So, a rule suggesting how much each taxi squad player must appear in could cause some issues. The defenseman’s head hit the glass. The players will be essentially AHL roster players, being paid the AHL wage and requiring all the AHL formalities of being called up or sent down (waivers, etc. NHL taxi squads to help teams stay on ice in pandemic: The NHL is bracing for bumps as it aims to pull off a season during the COVID-19 pandemic. by St. Louis Blues / Press Release January 13, 2021 St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the … Some other teams may find their roster more fluid and will look to have a more rotationally functional roster. St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas will miss four to six weeks with a broken thumb, head coach Craig Berube announced Sunday. The Blues are also allowed a taxi squad this season. Continuing the domino effect, defensemen Jake Walman and forward Jake Neighbours were reassigned to the taxi squad from their AHL assignments. Help | Press | Advertise With Us | Jobs | FOX Cincy | RSS | Site Map if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0')}; A Canadian native who found himself covering St Louis sports after graduate school, Carter has a passion for sports (especially hockey) and the minute details that make the games special. With Neal on the taxi squad and having multiple years left on his deal I don’t see any interest there. #NHL/#NHLPA Agreement: 23-man roster with $81.5 million salary cap. Perunovich is a second-round pick out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2018, looking to make his pro debut. In that situation, the thinking would be to save some cap space by getting players off the roster. With 14 forwards, six defensemen, and two goalies on the roster all fairly determined in their roles, the up and down between Springfield would likely be limited to injury replacements. The Blues brain trust will have some very interesting and difficult decisions to make. Similarly, Curtis McKenzie and Sam Anas are players with extensive professional careers. Updated hourly with news and features from over 150 writers worldwide. St. Louis Blues Have Difficult Taxi Squad Decisions to Make A group of four to six minor league skaters and one goalie will travel with the big club, practicing and operating under the same guidelines and protocols. For forwards, Klim Kosten, the Blues’ first pick from the 2017 Draft, may be a guy they want to keep near the organization. The most ideal choice seems to be keeping veteran players or those who have already reached their ceiling in development, who know how to step-in in a pinch and add to the roster immediately. Walker, 27, has appeared in 17 career NHL games, posting four points and 12 penalty minutes. Comprehensive and up-to-date St. Louis Blues news, scores, schedule, stats and roster if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-banner-1-0')}; Though there is no harm to moving minor leaguers in and out of the squad and considering the AHL will not begin for at least another month after the NHL drops the puck, there may be value in taking whichever players you most want in training and keep them with the big club until games start in Springfield. Blues willing to move Jaden Schwartz for significant return Mar 25, 2021; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Jaden Schwartz (17) skates with the puck in the first period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. ... Defenseman Niko Mikkola was recalled from the taxi squad to the NHL roster to take Bortuzzo's place. FS1 | FOX | FOX News | Fox Corporation | FOX Supports | FOX Deportes. The Sharks will host the Minnesota Wild on Monday. With the Blues slowly getting healthier, Joshua looks to … With the reported addition of Mike Hoffman to the NHL roster and Vladimir Tarasenko’s injury situation, some big-league players’ roles may be in flux. Sign up for our regular 'Blues Newsletter' for all the latest. The issue in question was of the injury type, that of Robert Bortuzzo, who was knocked woozy, and eventually from the game, by a hit from Colorado’s Valeri Nichushkin early in the Avalanche’s 8-0 win over St. Louis on Friday night. If that is the case, may I suggest putting Wainwright on the taxi squad, at the very least? Kyrou’s appearance on the taxi squad comes with a huge asterisk. 454. The Blues placed Bortuzzo on injured reserve with an upper body injury. Jan 18, 2021 at 2:31 pm ET1 min read MacEachern was assigned to the taxi squad Monday, Jim Thomas of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Robert Bortuzzo (pictured in a game from last season) sustained an upper body injury Friday night against Colorado. What recent roster moves ... bouncing around with the Calgary Flames, the St. Louis Blues… Perunovich had spent time in St. Louis training camp and on the Blues' taxi squad during the 2020-21 season but has yet to … Joshua was reassigned to the taxi squad Friday, Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. It really depends on how the organization’s system of players is organized. The team dealt star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for prospect forward Mark Cundari, the rights to goaltender Reto Berra, and a 2013 first-round pick. It would seem unwise to have players you wish to see develop and grow in substantial ways, not get live minutes. This runs especially true for the St. Louis Blues. Taking his place on the active roster is defenseman Niko Mikkola, who was recalled from the taxi squad. Walman was demoted to the taxi squad Monday, CapFriendly reports.. Walman has been in the Blues' lineup for six of the last seven games, recording a minus-3 rating and 14 shots on goal. LOUIS — Just two games into the season the St. Louis Blues are testing their depth. Though due to the nature of calling players up, and having to send players through waivers to ‘demote’ them, the Taxi Squad for the Blues will most likely be players who provide the insurance coverage to the team and not necessarily the best players in the organization for the roll. If it’s an … Tucker, the youngest of the group, has only played two games in the AHL in 2018-19 before returning to the OHL for the next two seasons. if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-4-0')}; The Taxi Squad could play an important role in keeping a stable of players you trust to enter the lineup at any moment should any injury (Covid or otherwise) arise. The Blues will host the Los Angeles Kings on Monday. ... both of whom are currently on the taxi squad. All 29 players (max) will travel and practice with NHL team. With the Blues playing in the West Division this upcoming year, they will find themselves on the coast or in Nevada for a considerable amount of time and having a group of players ready to step in will be important. On his first shift of the game, Bortuzzo was struck from behind in what appeared to be a shot to the head from Nichushkin’s shoulder. Taking his place on the active roster is defenseman Niko Mikkola, who was recalled from the taxi squad. — St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) February 11, 2021. The 2020-21 has shown some dynamic roster movement with the use of the taxi squad. ___ by St. Louis Blues / Press Release January 26, 2021 The St. Louis Blues have recalled forward Jacob de la Rose from the taxi squad and have recalled defenseman Scott … The Blues also recalled Scott Perunovich to the taxi squad Monday, presumably to cover for Nikkola’s absence. Thankfully for him, his contract is reasonable. In addition, the team … Dec 19, 2020 Veteran Carl Gunnarsson, the seventh man in a six-man blue-line group on game day, figures to play in Bortuzzo’s place when the Blues host the Sharks in their home opener Monday night. West Division opening night rosters, members of their taxi squads, and team salary cap projections for the start of the 2020-21 NHL season. Keeping more players in your bubble will pay dividends eventually.if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-box-4-0')}; The next big question to address is what exact type of player you want to keep with you on the Taxi Squad? Travel, though, can become a big issue here. St. Louis Blues assistant coach Mike Van Ryn, ... Utica Comets with other Blues prospects, the defenseman stayed in St. Louis training and rehabbing as a member of the Blues taxi squad. — St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) January 12, 2021. Both players are waiver exempt. In addition, the Blues have recalled forward Nathan Walker from the American Hockey League's (AHL) Utica Comets and assigned him to the taxi … The four to six skaters the club will carry is less clear. The 75th pick in the 2012 Draft, Gillies has been a mainstay for the Flames’ AHL affiliate Stockton Heat, but now may be called upon to become the St. Louis club’s emergency back-up. That may manifest itself in the use of the Taxi Squad in a more liberal way. The concern that arises is that all three could benefit greatly from active participation in AHL games, and not playing live minutes could jeopardize their development. However, he is currently on loan to the KHL’s Avangard Omsk, where he has already played 21 games this season. There are no clear defensemen to add to the Taxi Squad though some candidates would make for interesting stories. The University of North Dakota grad is in only his third season with the Blues, but at age 24 is already in advanced age for a prospect and could provide a more adult body and physical presence on the Taxi Squad. Additionally, there is technically nothing stopping a team from calling a player up from the AHL roster directly and by-passing the Taxi Squad altogether. Austin Poganski is also a player who may find himself in the Taxi Squad conversation. Jordan Kyrou looks like a guy who doesn't want to go back to the taxi squad. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Full St. Louis Blues roster for the 2020-21 season including position, height, weight, birthdate, years of experience, and college. Clearly, the Blues won’t be needing Adam Wainwright’s services this season, unless the Department of Player Safety continues to implicitly imply (I suppose that’s a thing) that it’s open season on Blues players. So, when time may allow, a player with game minutes and/or a higher priority prospect may be the player to look to. ), but will have the NHL experience of traveling with the team. Find out the latest on your favorite NHL players on CBSSports.com. Goaltenders #35 - Ville Husso #50 - Jordan Binnington. That being said, neither player is waiver exempt, so while they may be the best options, calling them up would complicate the long-term vision of their time with the Blues. The Blues are relatively set with their lineup. After covering the college basketball scene in Missouri for two years, and covering special stories like the NHL All-Star Game and the XFL, Carter is excited to get back to his sporting roots and cover the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions. That is who I think can make the cut for the “taxi squad” that the Sharks will have this season in case of an injury or a positive COVID-19 test. FOX and FOX SPORTS are trademarks of FOX Media LLC. Blues’ general manager Doug Armstrong may be called upon to make a hard and/or risky decision related to putting a player through waivers to maximize the roster’s potential. While the players who make up the group will be practicing with the team, they will be missing out on valuable in-game development time. 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