Taxi squads to help teams stay on ice

The NHL is bracing for bumps as it aims to pull off a season during the pandemic and the hope is that taxi squads will help teams stay on the ice.

The defending Western Conference champion Dallas Stars have already had to postpone their season-opener this week because six players and two staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. The Stars won’t face an opponent earlier than Jan. 19, when they’re currently scheduled to play at Tampa Bay in a Stanley Cup Final rematch.

Dallas and every other team will likely lean on taxi squads this season.

NHL teams get to have four to six players on taxi squads after they clear waivers, essentially expanding the size of the team beyond the 23-man limit when teams submit their rosters to the league today.

Hundreds of players were put on waivers Monday, including Montreal’s Corey Perry and Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson and Luke Schenn. All could now be taxi squad-bound.

“We’re going into unchartered waters with the taxi squad that is in place to try to get us through the season,” Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland said in a telephone interview

with The Associated Press. “Taxi squads will give us 29 players tested every day, practicing and traveling with us that are eligible to play in games on short notice.”

Players on taxi squads can be put on the active roster as late as 5 p.m. Eastern on a game day, giving clubs a better chance of having four lines, three defensive pairings and two goaltenders even if rosters take a hit because of COVID-19 protocols. Teams must have three goaltenders available among the 29 players.

While taxi squads will benefit teams trying to navigate the season, general managers will wrestle with whether they should keep prospects to play sparingly in the NHL or if sending them to compete regularly in American Hockey League games is better for their development.

“You’d have to prioritize your thinking,” Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams said. “I’d say we’ll start with what we feel is what gives the Buffalo Sabres the best opportunity to be successful and win hockey games, and we’ll work off of that.”

When NHL teams do want to call up prospects from the minor leagues, those based in the U. S. will be able to get them on the ice quicker than some of the Canadian counterparts.

“There will be a quarantine period of seven days to bring somebody up,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said.

Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary will have to wait longer. Those teams have U. S- based minor league affiliates and anyone crossing the

border for nonessential reasons must isolate for 14 days.

“That adds another six days to anyone coming to Canada, to the clubs in western Canada,” Holland said. “When we assign players to the AHL, it’s much more difficult to get them back. And, that will factor into our decisions when we have to submit rosters.”