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Scott Takes: Predicting the Avs Taxi Squad

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2021 training camp roster

The Avs opened up their 2021 season on Sunday with a team meeting and their annual media day event of taking headshots, filming Jumbotron media bites and preparing for Day 1 of training camp that is set to open on Monday.  

In keeping with the trend of 2020, this 2021 NHL season, too, will be weird, for lack of a better term. Among the new concepts and changes we’ll see this season are: A 56-game regular-season schedule, intra-division games only (the Avs are moving over to the newly-formed “West” Division), a “baseball-style” schedule and the addition of a “taxi squad.”

Similar to the playoff bubble last season, the NHL is allowing every team to carry 4-6 extra players (one must be a goalie) in case of injury, illness, COVID protocol, etc. This is what is referred to as the “taxi squad.” In addition to practicing with the NHL team, the taxi squad will also get to travel with the NHL club and participate in all team activities.

The taxi squadron figures to be mostly from the NHL team’s AHL affiliate. These AHL players will be paid their AHL salary but will also get the NHL per diem. Because of this, their cap hit won’t count toward the NHL team’s salary cap. Here’s more detail:

 

Let’s take a stab at predicting the make-up of the Avalanche 2021 taxi squad.

 

Locks to make the taxi squad:

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