NHL Rumors: Taxi Squads, and the Ottawa Senators
The NHL doesn't want to, but they may have to look at taxi squads again. The Ottawa Senators won't give up future assets for immediate help.
© Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
League may have to look at taxi squads again

Sportsnet: NHL deputy commission Bill Daley said at this point they don’t want to use taxi squads. There are COVID issues with AHL teams and some teams are having trouble recalling players. Jeff Marek last night.

“With all the talk about (emergency goalies) and the inability to call up players from the American Hockey League, I know we don’t want to discuss it but we may have the conversation about taxi squads again.”

Senators won’t give up future assets for immediate help

Shawn Simpson: Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion said that they have enough draft picks and don’t need to trade their pending UFA’s for picks.

Simpson: “I hope that will be reevaluated before the deadline. That would be another big mistake.”

Daniel Rainbird of Sportsnet: Senators GM Pierre Dorion back in training camp said the rebuild was “done.” Yesterday, he said he needs to rephrase that.

“Sometimes the excitement of a season gets to you,” said Dorion. “What I should’ve said is pretty much all the core pieces of the rebuild are in the organization right now.

“Obviously, (I) didn’t foresee us just winning five games after 21 games, but probably how I should have phrased it, and that’s on me, no one else, is that most of the core pieces, I feel we might be one piece away, are in the organization at this point in time.”

COVID knocked out 10 players and postponed three games. They lost two centers in Colin White and Shane Pinto, and several others to injuries.

Dorion has made a couple of minor moves but won’t give up the future for immediate help.

“I know at the same time you can go out and make trades where you sacrifice important pieces of your future for immediate help, but I don’t think that was part of the plan. It’s not something that, you know, we can look at doing.”