Boston Bruins: Five players destined for 2021 taxi squad

The 2021 NHL season will feature expanded rosters called “taxi squads.” Who are five players that could end up on the Boston Bruins’ taxi squad?

The Boston Bruins, along with every other NHL team, will have the luxury to expanded rosters called “taxi squads” for the 2021 NHL season.

Taxi squads will have a minimum requirement of four players and a maximum of six players. Of these four to six players, at least one of them has to be a goaltender if the regular roster is not already carrying three goalies.

For compensation, players on the taxi squad will be paid as if they’re playing in the AHL. So, the taxi squad can be used to bury contracts just like the AHL. However, also like the AHL, if players aren’t waivers exempt, they will have to go through waivers to be put on the taxi squad.

Players on the taxi squad will be allowed to practice, travel, and attend events with the taxi squad. However, they will not be allowed to attend AHL events and travel with the AHL team.

Recalls from the taxi squad must be put in by 5 P.M. EST, or they will count for the next day. This rule is nullified for goalies when the team has less than two goalies available to play.

Taxi squads will begin the last day of training camp (Jan. 12) and end after the season ends.

(Taxi squads rules per CapFriendly.)

Now that you know the rules for the taxi squad, who are five players that could end up on the Bruins’ taxi squad?

Which goalie could end up on the Boston Bruins’ taxi squad?

The two goalies that will be on the regular roster for the Black and Gold are obviously Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. However, figuring out who will be not their taxi squad is a bit tricky.

In the minors, Boston currently has Dan Vladar and Jeremy Swayman in the AHL and Kyle Keyser and Callum Booth in the ECHL. The only one of these netminders with NHL experience is Vladar. So my guess is that unless the Bruins go out and sign a veteran, Vladar will be the goaltender on their practice squad.

Dan Vladar – Goaltender

Vladar is currently 23 years old and was drafted by Boston in the third round (75th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

So far in his career, he has played in just one NHL game and it was a playoff game in the Toronto bubble. Vladar played about half the game and struggled, allowing three goals on 15 shots which equals a .800 save percentage (SV%) and 6.27 goals-against average (GAA).

Through five seasons in the AHL, Vladar has suited up for 68 games. In those 68 games he has a 33-22-9 record, .916 SV%, 2.35 GAA, and six shutouts.

Although Vladar is Boston’s top goalie prospect, he’s the only other goalie besides Rask and Halak with NHL experience under contract with the B’s, which I think makes him the top option for the netminder spot on the team’s taxi squad.

However, this could change if Boston goes out and signs a veteran goalie just to put on the taxi squad so Vladar can continue to play in games.