Senators Recall Hayden Hodgson
The Ottawa Senators have called up Hayden Hodgson from AHL Belleville, in a team announcement earlier today. Having locked up a spot in the postseason, currently slated for a first round match-up against Buffalo, the forward is a perfect spot-starter on the fourth line before what could be an exciting series against two franchises craving a run.
Brady Tkachuk was shaken up yesterday against the Islanders, not returning after catching a stick in the neck area in a weird sequence. Considering what’s in store, there’s no reason to rush their captain back for an inconsequential contest in Newark tonight, and Hodgson is a beneficiary.
The 30-year-old had to play the long game to this point. Undrafted out of the OHL, he was scarcely on anyone’s radar after bouncing around various ECHL clubs from 2017-2021 as well as a stint in Slovakia. After a sudden breakout with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2021-22, where he recorded 31 points, Hodgson got into seven games with the Flyers, but soon found himself back on the move.
Undeterred, the Windsor, Ontario native caught on with the Senators organization in 2024, fully leaning into an enforcer role with back-to-back campaigns with over 130 penalty minutes. The willingness to drop the mitts has gotten him 11 games with the Sens over the past two years, still looking for his first point with the club, but a metric hardly in his job description.
Hodgson will be eager for his first NHL action since early December, assuming he draws into the lineup against the Devils. Not yet reaching the 9:00 mark with the big club in any of his nine games, there can be less restriction of his ice time in a game against a team firmly out of the playoff picture.
After tonight Ottawa will conclude their regular season Wednesday, hosting the Maple Leafs. Hodgson will be soon to re-join Belleville, who unfortunately won’t qualify for the playoffs, but 2025-26 has been a year to remember with the most NHL playing time in his career so far.
Predators Reassign Jordan Oesterle
April 12: This afternoon Nashville reassigned Oesterle to AHL Milwaukee, shared in a press release. The veteran skated in one game, last Thursday at Utah, playing just over 14 minutes and finishing a -1. His Predators fell 4-1 as a significant blow to their playoff hopes. Oesterle was then scratched yesterday in the club’s win over Minnesota, as they went with 22-year-old rookie righty Ryan Ufko instead.
In all likelihood the Mammoth contest will be Oesterle’s only NHL action of the 2025-26 campaign, a real shift after his tenure as a full-timer in the league from 2017-23. A free agent at season’s end, and opportunities with the Predators clearly limited, he’s presumably putting his final touches on his time with the organization this month.
April 6: The Predators recalled veteran defenseman Jordan Oesterle from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals on Monday, per a team announcement. He comes up to give Nashville a seventh healthy defenseman after lefty Nicolas Hague left Saturday’s 6-3 win over the Sharks with an undisclosed injury in the first period and did not return. As such, Hague is doubtful for tonight’s contest against the Kings, although how much time he’ll miss beyond that is unknown.
Nashville acquired Oesterle off waivers from the Bruins at last season’s trade deadline amid a rash of season-ending injuries to Roman Josi, Jeremy Lauzon, and Adam Wilsby. The 33-year-old was a fine depth fill-in, posting three goals and an assist with a -3 rating in 15 games. Since he’d signed a two-year, two-way deal with Boston the prior offseason, he remained under contract with the Preds heading into training camp. With Hague’s acquisition from the Golden Knights and Nicklaus Perbix‘s pickup in free agency, Oesterle was in a wide competition for a spot as the Preds’ healthy extra but ultimately ended up on waivers midway through training camp.
Unlike last season, Oesterle cleared. He’s been in Milwaukee ever since, where the veteran of 408 NHL games leads the team with 46 points in 65 games. That includes an 11-point run in his last seven games.
On the heels of that strong minor-league performance, he’ll get a late-season reward for his play heading into free agency this summer. Nashville lost a high-quality depth option when they sent Nick Blankenburg to the Avalanche at the deadline, so it’ll either be Oesterle or rookie Ryan Ufko entering the lineup for Hague tonight. If they want to keep their two-lefty top pair of Josi and Brady Skjei together, it’ll likely be Oesterle stepping in to ensure there’s a left-shot option on the second and third pairings as well. Neither is a great stylistic fit to replace the imposing Hague.
If Oesterle draws in, his first NHL game in nearly a calendar year couldn’t come with higher stakes. Nashville’s playoff hopes face a 40 percent swing depending on the result of tonight’s game against Los Angeles. They currently sit in the second wild-card slot with a 34.6% chance of hanging onto it and securing an improbable playoff berth, but that number could rise to 55.6% with a regulation win and drop to just 17.2% with a regulation loss, per MoneyPuck. The Preds and Kings both have 81 points through 76 games, but Nashville has already clinched the tiebreaker with 26 regulation wins compared to L.A.’s 19.
Sharks Recall Luca Cagnoni
The San Jose Sharks announced today that they have recalled Luca Cagnoni from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
Cagnoni hasn’t played in the NHL this season, but got into six NHL games last year. In the meantime, he’s been one of the AHL’s most productive offensive defensemen, scoring 16 goals and 52 points as a rookie in 2024-25, and 43 points in 67 games in 2025-26.
The 5’9″ 180-pound blueliner is a former WHL star who is generally considered to be one of the better prospects in the Sharks’ system, which is one of the league’s very best. As with most defensemen his size, he has had to answer questions related to whether he’ll be able to handle the physical rigor and intensity of the NHL, but so far in his two-year professional career, he’s answered those questions in an emphatically positive direction.
The Sharks have not yet been eliminated from the playoffs, but their hopes of reaching the postseason are very slim. In the event they are eliminated from the playoffs before the end of the regular season, this recall will allow the team to get a look at Cagnoni’s progress.
His success at the AHL level suggests he could be nearing the point of NHL-readiness, and the Sharks are likely to want the chance to assess how close they believe Cagnoni is to making a real push for a full-time NHL roster spot.
The environment of the Sharks defense is favorable to Cagnoni, as he could have a significant opportunity ahead of him. San Jose’s defense is almost entirely unsettled for next season, with only Sam Dickinson and Dmitry Orlov under contract for 2026-27.
Mario Ferraro, Vincent Desharnais, Nick Leddy, and John Klingberg are set to hit unrestricted free agency, while Shakir Mukhamadullin will be an RFA. Klingberg has quarterbacked San Jose’s No. 1 power play unit this season, and if the Sharks let him walk, a significant amount of time on the man advantage will open up – time Cagnoni could very well seize if he makes the team.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall David Jiricek
The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled defenseman David Jiricek from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The move puts the 2022 No. 6 overall pick in a position to potentially make his Flyers debut in one of the team’s final two regular-season games. He was acquired by the Flyers in March in exchange for forward Bobby Brink, but has yet to make his NHL debut.
PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor wrote that he’d “be surprised” if Jiricek actually played on this recall, given the Flyers still need to clinch their playoff spot. The team is 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, so head coach Rick Tocchet might not have much of an appetite to make changes to a lineup that is firing on all cylinders.
But if the Flyers manage to clinch a playoff spot with a game remaining on their schedule, Jiricek could make his debut for the team in the final game of the regular season.
If Jiricek does play, the most likely spot in the lineup for him to take would be on the right side of the team’s third pairing. That’s a spot currently occupied by Emil Andrae, who is a lefty and has averaged 15:17 time on ice per game this season.
Jiricek, 22, has been stellar at the AHL level since joining the Flyers organization. He has 13 points in 13 games, and is playing a significant role in the lineup, soaking up significant minutes and appearing on both sides of special teams.
He could be a major part of the Flyers’ future if he can sort out some of the on-ice issues that helped pave the way for his exit from his last two NHL stops. Right now, though, the Flyers are singularly focused on the present and making the playoffs in these final two games on their schedule.
Red Wings Recall Michael Brandsegg-Nygard
The Detroit Red Wings announced that they have recalled forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. The recall was made under emergency conditions.
Today’s recall comes just shortly after the Red Wings were officially eliminated from playoff contention following a 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils. Detroit has a two-game road trip down to Florida to conclude its 2025-26 season, and now Brandsegg-Nygard will be a part of that trip.
Brandsegg-Nygard, 20, last played in the NHL exactly one month ago, for the final contest of a three-game stint on the NHL roster. Brandsegg-Nygard’s last two games in the NHL coincidentally also came against the league’s two Florida teams, who are the Red Wings’ final two upcoming opponents.
A 2024 first-round pick of the Red Wings, Brandsegg-Nygard is the highest-drafted Norwegian player in NHL history, the first to ever be selected in the first round. He spent the year following his selection in the SHL, scoring 11 points in 40 games for Skellefteå before joining Grand Rapids late in the season. He scored three points in three playoff contests for the Griffins.
This season has been Brandsegg-Nygard’s first full campaign in North America. He’s had a strong year, scoring 20 goals and 44 points in 58 games for Grand Rapids. While he hasn’t yet been able to translate that production to the NHL level, he also hasn’t looked entirely out of place when the Red Wings have brought him up to the NHL.
Brandsegg-Nygard has a hard-working forward who plays an endearing style of hockey that is tailor-made for the North American pro ranks. With how well he’s played in the AHL, and how little he’ll need to change the foundation of his game to be able to at least survive at the NHL level, it’s not out of the question that he makes a push for a full-time NHL roster spot as soon as next fall.
These final two games on Detroit’s schedule could be valuable data points in helping the Red Wings plan for next season’s team – and whether they can count on Brandsegg-Nygard to be on it.
Avalanche’s Jared Bednar To Miss Two Games With Injury
The Colorado Avalanche will be without head coach Jared Bednar for their upcoming two-game road trip as Bednar recovers from facial fractures and a corneal abrasion, per a team announcement.
Bednar will not require surgery and is expected to make a full recovery. The 54-year-old was struck by a puck during yesterday’s contest against the Vegas Golden Knights. While he is away from the team, Avalanche assistant coaches Nolan Pratt and Dave Hakstol will handle Bednar’s coaching duties.
At this time of year, injury-related absences are par for the course. But that’s typically a fact of life late in an NHL season that’s restricted to players – it’s far more rare for a coach to miss time as the result of injuries suffered during a game. But that’s exactly what has happened, although thankfully for all parties involved, the team made it clear that they expect Bednar to make a full recovery.
Bednar is in the midst of another stellar campaign as Avalanche head coach. The Saskatchewan native has been Colorado’s head coach since 2016, and has been in his position longer than any other coach in the NHL, save for Tampa Bay Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper.
While his tenure in Colorado began with a disastrous 22-56-4 campaign, he has since helped turn the Avalanche into one of the league’s most consistently dominant teams.
He hasn’t missed the playoffs since his rookie season behind the bench, and has gone 442-262-75 as Avalanche head coach overall. He is the franchise’s all-time winningest head coach and won the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Jets Recall Brayden Yager, Nikita Chibrikov
The Winnipeg Jets announced that they have recalled forwards Brayden Yager and Nikita Chibrikov from their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. Per the team, these two moves are emergency recalls.
While the Jets have not been officially eliminated from playoff contention at this point, they are teetering on the brink of elimination. They’ll need to win their final three games – and get some help from other teams – to return to the playoffs.
Today’s recalls have added two of the Jets’ better prospects to their roster in the event that they rest some of their veterans or ailing players if they are eliminated from playoff contention. The moves also add some depth to the Jets’ forward corps, a group that recently lost Morgan Barron for the rest of the regular season.
Yager, 21, could get the chance to make his NHL debut within these (likely) last three games of the Jets’ season.
Originally a first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Yager was acquired by the Jets in August 2024 after it became clear that top prospect Rutger McGroarty preferred to turn pro in a different organization.
In the first year of his professional career, Yager has made progress in his development. The Moose have had an up-and-down season as a whole, and have scored the second-fewest goals of any team in the AHL.
But Yager has nonetheless been able to successfully acclimate himself to the pro game in his time there. The former WHL Champion and CHL Sportsman of the Year has scored 10 goals and 30 points in 68 games for the Moose this season.
The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked Yager as the No. 2 prospect in the team’s system, calling him someone who “projects as a potential 3C/PP2/PK2 type.” That’s right in line with where he began the season, ranked No. 2 in the Jets’ system by the team at Elite Prospects, who also assigned him a middle-six projection.
Yager has two years remaining on his entry-level contract. While there aren’t many games left on the regular-season schedule, the Jets may be interested in seeing how Yager fares at the NHL level in order to get a clearer sense of whether they can plan for him to be on their NHL roster in 2026-27. The team’s current No. 4 center, Jonathan Toews, is a pending UFA, meaning that role could be open for Yager to seize in training camp in the fall.
The other player who was recalled, Chibrikov, does have some NHL experience unlike Yager. The 23-year-old Russian winger was a 2021 second-round pick and has played in 13 career NHL games, including eight this season.
Chibrikov built real momentum with his first season in North America, 2023-24. He scored 47 points in his first 70 AHL games and even nabbed his first NHL goal. But a season-ending knee injury cut his sophomore campaign short, and he’s since struggled to re-gain the form he once displayed.
In 53 games with the Moose this season, Chibrikov has just 16 points. While it’s been a season to forget for Chibrikov, this recall will give him the chance to at least try to end his campaign on the right note with some NHL experience. Chibrikov signed a two-year, one-way contract extension in October that carries an $875K AAV, and that deal is set to kick in this summer.
Photos courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
Oilers Recall Isaac Howard
The Edmonton Oilers announced that forward Isaac Howard has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Howard has been in the AHL since January. He began the 2025-26 season in the NHL, but was sent to the AHL in the middle of November after scoring just three points in 17 games to start his campaign. It was likely that the Oilers were hoping Howard would build some confidence offensively at the AHL level, developing a better sense of how to score at the professional level against lighter competition.
Howard did exactly that, scoring six points in his first three AHL contests. He earned a recall in January, but his struggles to translate his offensive touch to the NHL level persisted. He hasn’t been back in the NHL for a few months, but he’s maintained his pace as a lethal AHL scorer. In total, he has 22 goals and 47 points in 45 games for the Condors.
The 2024-25 Hobey Baker winner was recently ranked the No. 1 prospect in the Oilers’ system by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. Among all of the Oilers’ prospects, Howard is considered by most evaluators to stand the strongest chance of becoming a scoring forward at the NHL level.
While it’s unclear whether Howard will be able to hold down an NHL role for the Oilers’ upcoming playoff run, he will at least get a game or two before the end of the regular season to show Oilers brass how much he’s developed in his time in Bakersfield.
Stars Reassign Cameron Hughes
The Dallas Stars announced today that forward Cameron Hughes has been reassigned to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars.
The move signals that one of the team’s injured forwards is ready to return to the lineup for the team’s upcoming two-game road trip. The most likely candidates to return are either Michael Bunting or Radek Faksa, based on what head coach Glen Gulutzan told the media on Friday. Sam Steel, who is also day-to-day, is another candidate to return.
Hughes, 29, returns to the AHL having made a positive impression in what was the longest NHL recall of his career. He got into three games for the Stars, and was a healthy scratch for three more. While he didn’t play much, averaging just 7:19 time on ice per game, he did manage to score his first NHL goal, and also registered three hits and two blocked shots.
With the Stars looking to make a deep playoff run, this is a reassignment that was always expected. Hughes is a former AHL All-Star who has been one of the league’s most consistent scorers over the last half-decade. He’s scored at least 56 points in each of the last four seasons and has a career-high 66 points in 63 games for Texas in 2025-26.
The AHL Stars have already clinched a playoff spot, so what they have left to play for over the final four games of their regular season is mainly seeding. But they’ll still benefit from re-adding Hughes to their lineup, as the remaining portion of the regular season will allow him to re-establish his spot in the AHL lineup and more effectively prepare for the team’s playoff run.
Hughes is under contract for an additional season under a two-way structure with a $775K NHL salary, $450K AHL salary, and $470K guarantee, per PuckPedia.
Injury Notes: Jets, Marino, Shabanov, Malott
The Winnipeg Jets were all but eliminated from playoff contention yesterday, suffering a 7-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. With three games remaining on the schedule, they’ll need to win all three, as well as get considerable outside help, in order to return to the playoffs. As they seek a miracle over these next three games, they’ll need to do so without winger Morgan Barron. Barron has missed three straight games with a lower-body injury and Jets head coach Scott Arniel told the media yesterday, including Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press, that Barron is done for the regular season. The 27-year-old finishes his 2025-26 season with 11 goals and 23 points in 65 games, a career high in offensive production. He’s under contract through next season at a $1.85MM AAV before he’s set to become a UFA.
In addition to Barron, Arniel also provided an update on the status of injured defenseman Elias Salomonsson. Arniel said Salomonsson is still dealing with concussion symptoms and has not yet returned to the ice. The 21-year-old defenseman suffered his injury April 2 against the Dallas Stars, and has missed four consecutive games. Salomonsson, who was recently ranked the No. 1 prospect in the Jets’ system by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, has averaged 17:57 time on ice per game across 32 NHL contests this season.
Other injury notes from around the NHL:
- Utah Mammoth defenseman John Marino couldn’t play in yesterday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes as the result of an upper-body injury. The team officially classified his status as day-to-day. The 28-year-old has had a strong bounce-back season for the Mammoth after an injury-plagued 2024-25 campaign. He’s been Utah’s No. 3 defenseman in terms of ice time this season, and is a regular penalty killer. He’s also hit a career high in terms of scoring this season, with 35 points in 78 games. With their first playoff series in franchise history coming soon, the Mammoth will hope that Marino can return to 100 percent health, or a reasonable approximation of that, sooner rather than later.
- New York Islanders forward Maxim Shabanov missed yesterday’s loss to the Ottawa Senators with an upper-body injury, per a team announcement. The 25-year-old has dressed for just four Islanders games since the start of February, dealing with a mix of injuries and healthy scratches. His first campaign in the NHL hasn’t gone totally to plan, though he has had his moments. In total, he’s scored five goals and 18 points in 44 games this season.
- Los Angeles Kings forward Jeff Malott missed yesterday’s shutout win over the Edmonton Oilers with an undisclosed injury, per head coach D.J. Smith. The 29-year-old has had the most successful season of his pro career, finally breaking into the NHL on a full-time basis. Malott scored at least 40 points in each of his last four AHL campaigns, but before this season wasn’t able to land an NHL role on more than a spot basis. That changed this year, as he’s skated in 58 contests for the Kings and none in the AHL. The 6’5″ winger has registered nine points and 166 hits in those 58 games this season.