Islanders Recall Isaiah George
The rotation between major and minor lineups will continue for defenseman Isaiah George. The New York Islanders have again recalled George from the AHL, after moving him between rosters twice over the last two days. A lower-body injury will keep veteran defenseman Ryan Pulock sidelined on a day-to-day basis, so the team has added George from the AHL to help manage Pulock’s absence. Both Pulock and Alexander Romanov returned to New York’s practices on Thursday morning, with Romanov donning a no-contact jersey.
This isn’t George’s first season of routine recalls. He got into 33 NHL games last season, and has dressed for two this year. His last recall occurred in late January, and his most recent NHL game came Jan. 26. The 22-year-old has been a top-four defenseman in Bridgeport this season, also seeing time on both sides of special teams. In 45 games this season, George has set a career-high in production with 17 points. On a rate basis, his production is actually down somewhat from last season, though offense isn’t really a focal point of his game.
With Pulock injured, 2018 No. 8 overall pick Adam Boqvist drew back into the lineup, assisting on the Islanders’ game-winning goal during a crucial victory Sunday over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Although George has been recalled, it does seem somewhat unlikely at this stage that he’ll draw into the lineup, assuming the Islanders don’t suffer any more defensive injuries. New York sit in the Eastern Conference’s final Wild Card playoff spot, but their lead over the Detroit Red Wings for that position is just one point – and Detroit has a game in hand.
The Islanders play Chicago tonight, Dallas on Thursday, and Florida on Saturday. They can’t afford to drop points in those contests, so it’s likely George’s recall has more to do with providing insurance for further injury, rather than their being any plans to integrate him directly into their lineup.
With that said, if George does end up dressing for any games, his performance in those high-stakes contests could be very meaningful for his short-term professional future. George has another year remaining on his entry-level deal, but because of how the contract slid in the 2023-24 campaign, George is not slated to receive any signing bonuses next season. With an AHL salary of $82.5K, George could see his ending pay cut in half if he spends all of next season in the AHL. As a result, he has extra financial motivation to acquit himself well in front of Islanders brass and seize on any NHL opportunities that come his way.
Penguins Recall Avery Hayes, Joona Koppanen
The Pittsburgh Penguins have added two forwards to the roster ahead of Thursday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators. Winger Avery Hayes and center Joona Koppanen have been recalled from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Hayes’ recall will help the Penguins addresss a day-to-day injury for winger Anthony Mantha, while Koppanen will shore up the center depth per Taylor Haase of DK Pittsburgh Sports.
Hayes could have the clearer path to a lineup role if Mantha need to miss Thursday’s game. The 23 year old scored two goals in his NHL debut in early February but has struggled to keep scoring on the other side of the NHL’s Olympic break. He has no points in 10 NHL games since, though he has scored nine points in his last seven AHL games. That minor-league scoring brings him up to 32 points in 38 AHL games this season, fourth on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in scoring.
The Penguins will hope Hayes can rediscover his spark as he steps up for Mantha, who has eight points in his last nine games. All of that scoring was managed over a six-game stretch in mid-March, bringing Mantha up to 26 goals and 53 points in 71 games this season – a new career-high in scoring.
Koppanen hasn’t been in the NHL since November, when he played through a 10-game stint on Pittsburgh’s third-line. He recorded one assist, two penalty minutes, and a minus-one in that span. He also won 12 of the 25 faceoffs he took. Koppanen has filled a stout center role in his minor league minutes, netting 19 points and a plus-14 in 37 games. He brings reliable, two-way depth to the lineup and could help the Penguins make up for an injury to veteran Blake Lizotte.
The Penguins have turned towards Connor Dewar to fill a center role in Lizotte’s absence. He is putting together a career-year on Pittsburgh’s bottom line, with 14 goals, 27 points, and a plus-10 in 71 games – all career highs. That production has kept Dewar in a nightly lineup role, though his role as a faceoff-taker is new. With Koppanen on the roster, Pittsburgh will have the option to move Dewar back to the wing, in place of Elmer Soderblom.
Snapshots: Mantha, Granato, Rasmussen
Penguins winger Anthony Mantha has been a pleasant surprise this season, having a resurgent campaign. However, that’s now on hold for the time being as the team announced (Twitter link) that he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The 31-year-old missed most of last year due to injury, allowing him to sign a one-year deal with incentives this season. He has made the most of it, tallying 26 goals and 27 assists in 71 games, setting new career highs across the board offensively. He has reached the first seven levels of his various games-played bonuses (totaling $1.75MM) but will need to play in nine of Pittsburgh’s 11 remaining games in order to receive an additional $250K, giving him some extra incentive to return quickly beyond their battle for a playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Former Sabres head coach Don Granato is set to run a bench once again. USA Hockey announced that Granato has been named as their head coach for the upcoming World Championship. The 58-year-old led Buffalo to a 122-125-27 record over parts of four seasons before being dismissed following the 2023-24 campaign. This will be his first coaching opportunity since then. The tournament is set to run from May 15-31 in Switzerland.
- Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen has yet to resume skating as he continues to work his way back from an undisclosed injury, relays MLive’s Ansar Khan (Twitter link). At this point, he’s still in treatment mode according to head coach Todd McLellan, who noted that he’s still probably at least a week away from returning. While Rasmussen hasn’t been particularly productive this season – just 14 points in 61 games – he’s still an important part of Detroit’s bottom six and penalty kill; getting him back would certainly help in their late-season playoff push.
2026 College Free Agency Preview: Forwards
The NCAA tournament has been set and those who aren’t participating have seen their seasons come to an end. With that in mind, it’s time to take a look at some of the free agents that could be drawing attention from NHL teams in the coming weeks.
As always, note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will be signing NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.
Forwards
Hank Cleaves (Dartmouth) – Two years ago, Cleaves wasn’t generating much attention in the BCHL. However, big centers tend to stand out and big centers who average well over a point per game in their sophomore year really catch the attention of the scouts. Given that he’s still a sophomore, there’s a legitimate chance that he stays for one more year. However, he should get considerable NHL interest and that might be enough to get him to make the jump.
Matthew DiMarsico (Penn State) – Generally speaking, a lot of the players who sign in college free agency are likely to be role players and not necessarily core producers. Some will look for size, some for skill, and others will prioritize smarts. DiMarsico certainly checks the latter category and as a player in the top 20 in NCAA scoring this season as a junior, the skill is there as well. There’s a high floor to work with which should appeal to some teams.
Josh Eernisse (Western Michigan) – After being limited to just one goal in his junior year, Eernisse has hovered closer to the half-point-per-game mark. That’s not why he’s on this list, however. He’s a big, physical winger with a responsible defensive game. That profile is one that would fit on some NHL fourth lines down the road.
T.J. Hughes (Michigan) – A player who has been on this list before, there is no option for Hughes to stay in college any longer. He has been one of the more skilled players in the NCAA level in recent years and it has resulted in him averaging well over a point per game for two of the last three seasons. There’s a question as to whether he can play an offensive role in the NHL but even if not, a productive AHL player would still be a worthwhile addition in free agency.
Aleksi Kivioja (Providence) – This is more of a projectable signing than some of the others on this list. Kivioja hasn’t been a top offensive producer even going back to his junior days in Finland. However, he has shown some strides this season with the Friars in that regard. He’s also a physical six-foot-five center. His ceiling might not be too high but there should be teams that see his frame and style and think there’s some fourth-line potential. Staying one more year and honing his offensive game is a viable option, however.
Jack Musa (UMass) – Viewed as a strong playmaker, Musa has also shown some scoring potential over the last couple of seasons. While he’s on the smaller side, he’s a strong enough skater and does well in transition which are elements that scouts will appreciate. He still has one more year of eligibility but after boosting his stock this season, making the jump now would make sense. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal recently reported (Twitter link) that Musa will decide very soon about turning pro or not.
Nathan Pilling (St. Thomas) – More of a speculative add on this list, the ability to go from the CHL to the NCAA has worked well for Pilling. As a 21-year-old freshman, he put up 15 goals and 14 assists in 38 games this season, suggesting that his breakout final season with WHL Seattle wasn’t a one-off. Given that he’s a six-foot-four center who won over 53% of his draws this year, he should be on some radars now. Players don’t often turn pro after one year of college but Pilling is a candidate to do so.
Ellis Rickwood (North Dakota) – While his offensive production hasn’t been quite as high compared to his final season at Clarkson, Rickwood has been a top performer on a team loaded with NHL prospects. He has a pro frame already with a reasonable two-way game and has won over 60% of his faceoffs this season. Rickwood isn’t known as a strong skater, however, which could scare off some suitors but there’s a fourth-line NHL profile if a team thinks they can improve that facet of his game.
Hayden Stavroff (Dartmouth) – One of the youngest players in this group (he’s only 21), Stavroff showed some offensive upside in the BCHL and had a decent freshman year. This season, all he did was lead all of Division I in goals with 29 in just 34 games, a number higher than his point total (22) a year ago. Some teams might want to wait to see if this type of performance is repeatable but it wouldn’t be shocking if enough believe in his scoring ability to sign him now.
Jack Stockfish (Holy Cross) – One of a few players on this list who also appeared on last year’s version, Stockfish ultimately decided to stay in school over turning pro last season. He didn’t really boost or hurt his stock but the same elements that made him appealing a year ago are still there – he’s big, a center, and has shown enough offensive upside to make him intriguing.
J.J. Wiebusch (Penn State) – After playing big minutes in his freshman year last season, the influx of talent this year hasn’t affected Wiebusch’s output as he has been hovering around the point per game mark. He’s a strong enough skater to keep pace in the pros and brings enough skill and compete to the table to have a chance to fit as a bottom-six forward. The question is if he’ll opt to stay for one more year and try to up his production again to give himself a stronger market next spring. If not, he’ll draw some interest in the coming weeks.
Anton Lundell Out Two To Six Weeks
The infirmary in Florida has been growing rather rapidly in recent weeks as the Panthers wind down their season. It has expanded by one more as head coach Paul Maurice told reporters today including George Richards of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link) that center Anton Lundell will miss two to six weeks with a rib injury.
With just three weeks left in their season, it’s fair to say that there’s a good chance that Lundell will miss the remainder of the season unless it’s the best-case scenario recovery-wise. The good news is that Maurice indicated that surgery is not required. Speculatively, if Lundell wants to keep playing after recovering, he should be cleared by the time the World Championship gets underway in May.
Lundell has missed the last two games with the injury. The 24-year-old has been asked to shoulder a much bigger workload this season in the absence of Aleksander Barkov, resulting in him anchoring the top line most nights. As more of a two-way player, it’s not a role he’s necessarily best suited for but with the circumstances, he was the logical choice to move up.
To his credit, Lundell’s point-per-game average is the best of his career at 0.69, just ahead of his rookie season. He sits fifth on the team in scoring with 18 goals (tying his career high) and 26 assists in 64 games while averaging a career-high 19:09 of playing time per contest.
This injury won’t create another emergency recall for the Panthers since he has already missed two games with Noah Gregor coming up on Tuesday. Additionally, team reporter Jameson Olive adds that winger Mackie Samoskevich could return after missing the last two games with a neck laceration. If he does, one of their emergency recall forwards would either have to be sent back to the minors or be converted to a regular recall that counts against their post-deadline limit of five.
Anaheim Ducks To Recall Nathan Gaucher
A recent first-round pick by the Anaheim Ducks could be making his NHL debut relatively soon. According to Derek Lee of The Hockey News, the Ducks are expected to recall forward Nathan Gaucher from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, with an official announcement coming later.
Gaucher, 22, has been playing in the Ducks organization for a few years now. Anaheim selected Gaucher with the 22nd overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft after he scored 31 goals and 57 points in 66 games for the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts, with a +30 rating. The 2022-23 campaign was Gaucher’s best at the major junior level, scoring 22 goals and 46 points in 44 games with a +35 rating, with another seven goals and 16 points in 18 postseason contests en route to a Memorial Cup title.
Since then, he has played professionally in the Ducks’ organization, exclusively for the Gulls. Unfortunately, his development, primarily on the offensive side of the puck, has stagnated somewhat. Throughout his three years in the AHL, Gaucher has registered 30 goals and 70 points in 185 games, but has set a new career-high this season.
Given his production in San Diego, it’s somewhat difficult to project Gaucher’s long-term path in the NHL. He’s an aggressive forechecker who isn’t afraid of physicality, with the vision to find his teammates relatively effortlessly. A good comparison would be Martin Pospisil of the Calgary Flames, a strong player who excels at moving the puck in a bottom-six role while averaging over three hits per game.
Red Wings Extend Jacob Bernard-Docker
The Detroit Red Wings announced that they’ve signed defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to a two-year, $3.2MM ($1.6MM AAV) contract extension. The contract will run through the 2027-28 NHL season, and Bernard-Docker will become an unrestricted free agent upon expiry.
Bernard-Docker, 25, is in his first year with Detroit after signing a one-year, $875K contract last summer. The former first-round pick began last season with the Ottawa Senators and finished the campaign with the Buffalo Sabres after being included in the Dylan Cozens, Joshua Norris swap at the trade deadline. Buffalo opted not to tender him a qualifying offer last offseason, making him free to sign with any team.
Although he doesn’t provide much offense from the blue line, he’s had an otherwise solid debut with the Red Wings. Through 55 games this season, Bernard-Docker has tallied four assists with a +5 rating, averaging a flat 15 minutes per game.
Most of his value is made up on the defensive side of the puck. Not only is Bernard-Docker averaging the highest on-ice SV% at even strength (95.0%) of his career, but he is averaging the highest on the team by a significant margin — a team that has flirted with postseason positioning for much of the season.
Still, the Red Wings don’t typically utilize Bernard-Docker on the special teams as they usually opt for a veteran-heavy rotation, particularly on the penalty kill. At even strength, he is almost exclusively partnered with Albert Johansson, and the two have combined for a 51.0% xGoals% throughout the year, according to MoneyPuck.
The biggest question mark with this extension is how Bernard-Docker will be utilized next season and beyond. Detroit brought in Justin Faulk at the deadline, and with Moritz Seider and Axel Sandin Pellikka, it leaves little room on the right side of the defensive corps. The Travis Hamonic experiment, if you want to call it that, is assuredly over after this season. If nothing else changes, Bernard-Docker may have to move to his off-hand, or Detroit will have to do some shifting around of some kind.
At any rate, Bernard-Docker’s new deal locks up every Red Wings defenseman for next season outside of Hamonic and Simon Edvinsson. Edvinsson, who is scheduled to become a restricted free agent, isn’t yet eligible for arbitration, giving Detroit a lot of flexibility with his next deal.
Oilers Return James Hamblin From Emergency Recall
March 25th: Now that the emergency conditions have subsided, Hamblin is no longer needed on the Oilers roster. To that end, Edmonton announced that they’ve returned Hamblin to AHL Bakersfield from his emergency recall.
March 24th: Set to take on Utah tonight, the Edmonton Oilers announced that James Hamblin has been recalled from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors on an emergency basis.
Already down several players, headlined by Leon Draisaitl, the transaction fuels speculation on if another key skater is out tonight. Such is not yet clear. If he’s actually able to draw into the lineup, it’ll be Hamblin’s first NHL action since January 2024. The last time that happened he skated alongside the retired Sam Gagner for the Oil, speaking to his long road back.
Fan interest in the Alberta franchise will be higher than usual from Bakersfield, California, as three of their key forwards are already filling in on the big stage, Roby Jarventie, Josh Samanski, and Max Jones, now Hamblin joining the group. It’s bad timing considering that Bakersfield is currently 10th in the AHL and looking to secure a playoff spot. There’s plenty of adversity in Edmonton too, with 11 games remaining in the regular season, but the Oilers should extend their postseason streak barring a major collapse.
For Hamblin, the 26-year-old Edmonton native ranks fifth in AHL team scoring with 37 points in 54 games. Undrafted, he’s impressively worked his way into 41 games with the Oilers, recording three points.
Standing at 5’10”, Hamblin was always a long shot to stick at the NHL level, but the pending unrestricted free agent has carved out a nice career with the Condors and will enjoy the call up to his hometown club no matter the duration.
Utah Mammoth Recall Danil But
According to a team announcement, the Utah Mammoth have recalled prospect forward Danil But from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. The transaction increases the Mammoth’s active roster to 24 players.
It’s not immediately clear if But will enter Utah’s lineup, or if he’s being kept around as a practice player as the team prepares for the postseason. At the time of writing, the Mammoth aren’t dealing with injuries to their forward corps, so someone will have to be healthy scratched to get But into the lineup.
Still, given the Roadrunners’ position in the standings, an unreported injury is likely. Tucson is only three points back of a postseason spot in the AHL’s Pacific Division, meaning But would be involved with meaningful hockey no matter what team within the organization he’s playing with.
If he does draw in, it’ll be his first NHL appearance since January 31st. He was sent down through the Olympic break and kept on the Roadrunners to ensure his eligibility for the 2026 Calder Cup playoffs.
While he may not break any scoring records this season, he has had a relatively solid rookie campaign overall. In 28 games, But has registered three goals and seven points with a +2 rating, averaging 12:35 of ice time per game. Additionally, his 18 blocked shots, 16 hits, 55.1 CorsiFor% at even strength, and 92.5% on-ice SV% at even strength highlight a maturity to his game that isn’t necessarily common in younger wingers.
Furthermore, there’s good indication that his offensive game will catch up to the rest of the skills he has shown in the NHL this season. In Tucson, But has scored 16 goals and 33 points in 34 games, second on the team in rookie scoring behind fellow 2023 draftee, Dmitriy Simashev.
Victor Hedman Taking Leave Of Absence
The Lightning announced Wednesday that captain Victor Hedman will be out for at least one additional game as he takes a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons.
Hedman has already missed Tampa Bay’s last three contests. He left their game against the Canucks last Thursday after less than five minutes of ice time and didn’t return due to what the team labeled an illness.
That, plus a whole host of other injuries, has limited the usually durable Hedman to under half of the Bolts’ games this season. He has only managed 33 appearances, currently tracking for a career low, including lockout and COVID-shortened seasons.
Hedman, who finished fifth in Norris Trophy voting just last year, hasn’t had nearly the same effect when dressed, either. At 18:52 of ice time per game, he’s averaging under 20 minutes for the first time in his 17-year career, and his 0.52 points per game is his worst output since his early 20s.
The Bolts have maintained a 27-7-3 record without Hedman dressed this season, including a 2-0-1 stretch in their last three without him. They certainly miss his presence, even lower in the lineup, with depth options Declan Carlile and Maxwell Crozier sidelined, but they’ve been able to keep their system rolling and intact this season amid a bevy of other injuries on defense.
At this point in the season, the Lightning have essentially locked up home ice in the first round with a 89.5% chance of finishing in the top two in the Atlantic Division, per MoneyPuck. A playoff spot is all but clinched, but the race with the Sabres for the division title is still wide open.