Islanders To Recall Isaiah George
The New York Islanders recalled defenseman Isaiah George from the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders today, reports The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner. 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.
This isn’t George’s first recall to the NHL roster. 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.
Red Wings Reassign Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Dylan Larkin To Return
The Red Wings announced that they’ve reassigned rookie winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to AHL Grand Rapids. That means his emergency conditions have been removed, meaning that captain Dylan Larkin should be expected to return to the lineup tonight against the Senators. He’s officially labeled a game-time decision for now, per Ansar Khan of MLive.
Brandsegg-Nygard’s recall back on March 7, the day after the trade deadline, was linked directly to Larkin’s injury the night before. He also ended up falling victim to Detroit’s injury bug, sitting out the last four games with an undisclosed injury. At the very least, he’s now at least healthy and cleared to play and will do so for Grand Rapids in short order.
The 20-year-old Norwegian only got into three games on this recall before the injury. In them, he went without a point while averaging 12:28 of ice time per game. He added eight hits and six shot attempts.
The 2024 15th overall pick is in his first season in North America. While he hasn’t made much of an NHL impact – just one assist and a -5 rating across 12 games dating back to his opening-night roster inclusion – he has made a smooth adjustment to AHL play. With 16 goals and 37 points in 50 games for Grand Rapids, he’s tied for second on the team in scoring – along with a glowing +24 rating – and will get some postseason experience too with the Griffins cruising toward the best record in the AHL’s Western Conference.
As for Larkin, Detroit navigated his absence as well as can be expected. The star pivot has missed seven games with a non-contact leg injury, during which the Wings have tread water with a 3-3-1 record. In a playoff race as tight as it is in the East, that’s potentially a death blow to their postseason hopes. They’re now one point back of the Islanders for a spot with a game in hand and have a must-win contest tonight against the Senators, who only trail Detroit by a point.
Avalanche Activate Logan O’Connor From Long-Term Injured Reserve
Avalanche winger Logan O’Connor will make his season debut tonight, the team announced. He has been activated from long-term injured reserve, per the NHL’s media site. The club still has nearly $5MM in cap space after the move, per PuckPedia, so they’re not in a crunch there.
It’s months overdue, but a welcome sight nonetheless. O’Connor underwent hip surgery in early June last year after the Avs were dispatched by the Stars in the first round of the playoffs. It was his second hip surgery in as many years. The procedure came with a five-to-six-month recovery timeline, meaning he should have been back in the lineup a couple of weeks before Christmas at the latest – especially since reports late in the offseason indicated his recovery was ahead of schedule.
That may have been the case initially. O’Connor then had soft tissue issues pop up in November as he was ramping up toward a return. The pain and swelling that came along with it proved incredibly difficult to manage. O’Connor’s return timeline stretched for weeks without him even skating, but he did eventually return to the ice shortly before the Olympic break. Now, another six weeks later, he’ll finally be an option for Colorado over the last 13 games of the regular season.
Currently in the first season of a six-year, $15MM extension he signed back in 2024 during training camp, O’Connor has proven a valuable defensive checking presence in the Avs’ bottom six over the past several years. The 29-year-old first emerged as a full-time threat amid Colorado’s championship-winning season in 2021-22 and has stuck around as a regular ever since.
When healthy, he’s money in the bank for 20 points. He seemed to have taken another step forward in 2023-24, managing a career-high 13 goals and 25 points in only 57 outings, before his first hip surgery ended his season. His production took a step back to a 10-11–21 line in 80 games last year. His hit totals saw a significant drop-off, too, only logging 0.85 per game after clearing one per night easily through most of his career.
Still, O’Connor’s possession impacts have historically been outstanding. Over the past two seasons, he posted Corsi shares of 54.4% and 53.1% at 5-on-5 despite starting less than 35% of his shifts in the offensive zone. The Avs haven’t trusted any of their forwards to start fewer than 40% of their shifts in the defensive end this year, so having O’Connor back will be a luxury to allow even more offensive zone time for the team’s star-loaded scoring lines.
Rangers Recall Adam Sykora, Reassign Connor Mackey
The Rangers announced Tuesday that they’ve recalled left wing prospect Adam Sykora from AHL Hartford. They sent defender Connor Mackey back down to Hartford in the corresponding move. Sykora could make his NHL debut tomorrow in Toronto, but it’s not a guarantee.
Sykora, 21, was the 63rd overall pick in 2022. While relatively small at 5’11” and 192 lbs, he was viewed as one of the highest-energy forwards in the draft with the potential to end up as a versatile middle-six piece.
Offensively, his journey through the pro ranks with Hartford has been rocky. He’s never popped as they hoped but has managed to hit double-digit goals for the first time this season, accumulating a 12-17–29 line in 62 outings to date. Across parts of four seasons for the Wolf Pack, he’s notched 29 goals and 82 points in 201 games with a -25 rating.
It’s incredibly rare for a player as young as Sykora to arrive in the NHL with that much professional experience in North America. He was one of the youngest players in his class to begin with, born just over a week before the cutoff date for 2022 draftees, and came over from his native Slovakia at the end of his post-draft season. He’s still fairly early in his development curve, but the lack of offensive progression to date in Hartford shows his game may already be close to topping out in that regard. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked him as the #7 player in the Rangers’ pool in this year’s rankings, while Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff had him #10 on his list last summer.
With all that in mind, it would actually make a good bit of sense for the Blueshirts to give Sykora a trial in a bottom-six role. His lack of point production in Hartford indicates that’s where his long-term home in the NHL would be anyway if he can carve out a career, so they’d be helping both parties by trialing him there for a bit this year to help them see if he’ll be worth a qualifying offer in 2027 when his entry-level contract is up.
As for Mackey, he’d appeared in three straight for the Blueshirts in place of Urho Vaakanainen, who’s sidelined with an upper-body injury. The 29-year-old lefty was held without a point and posted a -3 rating while averaging 12:47 per contest. It marks his sixth straight season seeing NHL action, his third with the Rangers. He did post relatively strong possession numbers in his limited minutes despite the end result not being too positive, logging a 50.9 CF% and 51.3 xGF% at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick.
His demotion implies that fellow lefty Drew Fortescue should be ready to step in and make his NHL debut tomorrow. New York signed the 20-year-old out of Boston College last weekend, but he was scratched for their Sunday-Monday back-to-back.
Devils Expect To Sign Anton Silayev
The Devils are expected to sign 2024 10th overall pick Anton Silayev to his entry-level contract this offseason, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.
Silayev, 20 next month, is in the final weeks of his contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. Torpedo is up 1-0 in their first-round playoff series against Severstal Cherepovets, but unlike with prospects in most other leagues, the timing of when Silayev’s postseason schedule ends is irrelevant to his ability to sign an entry-level contract this season.
KHL contracts run through May 31, and due to the lack of a transfer agreement with the NHL, it’s rare for Russian clubs to release players to sign with an NHL team before the legal expiry of their deals. With the Devils out of the playoff picture, they won’t be able to sign him until well after their season is over, but the hope is to get him to North America in time for their development camp following the draft, Pagnotta reports.
The monster 6’7″, 207-lb lefty was drafted with the hope he could be New Jersey’s top shutdown threat long-term. Getting him under wraps two years after his draft is better than the usual case for Russian prospects, so that’s a definite positive to take away from today’s news.
Silayev was viewed by some as a risky bet to take that high in the draft due to his evident lack of offensive upside, but he still grades out as the organization’s top prospect according to Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff and their #2 according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. Still, this season was tough for him.
He’s continued to demonstrate defensive development, but his already limited offensive utility was almost nonexistent this year, recording just three points in 61 regular-season games for Torpedo after hitting low double-digit totals each of the prior two seasons. His ice time was lessened as a result.
With that in mind, expecting him to emerge with a roster spot in the fall is hasty. A likely outcome is that Silayev anchors a top-four job with AHL Utica, with the expectation that a strong start will lead to a quick call-up. Players with similar archetypes over the last few seasons have adjusted well to minor-league duties but don’t routinely make the immediate jump to a full-time NHL role.
There were similar concerns in Dmitriy Simashev‘s game when the Coyotes, now Mammoth, selected him sixth overall in 2023, but he’s produced nearly a point per game upon his arrival in the AHL this season after a similar lack of offensive success in Russia. He has just one assist and a -9 rating in 25 NHL outings this year, though, so Utah has opted to keep him stashed in the minors amid their push for the franchise’s first playoff berth.
Islanders Sign Josh Kotai To Two-Year Contract
The Islanders announced they’ve signed college free agent goaltender Josh Kotai to a two-year, entry-level contract. Terms were not disclosed, although the deal presumably begins next season. If he wants to play pro hockey this year, he’ll have to sign a tryout with the Isles’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
Kotai, 23, turns pro after helping author one of the best stories in Division I hockey this year. The 23-year-old has been with Augustana University since its inception as a DI program in 2023, committing there after playing for the Battlefords North Stars of the junior ‘A’ league in Saskatchewan. He took over the starter’s crease as a sophomore last season and, this year as a junior, nearly helped backstop them to an at-large bid to the national tournament. Augustana did end up 15th in the year-end NPI rankings with an overall record of 22-11-4, but with lower-ranked Merrimack and Bentley both winning autobids as a result of their conference championships, Augustana fell just short of the cutoff.
The South Dakota university’s success over the past two years has fallen mostly on Kotai’s shoulders. The British Columbia native churned out a .931 SV%, 2.17 GAA, eight shutouts, and a 39-30-9 record in 79 career outings for the Vikings. That includes a sub-2.00 GAA in each of his two seasons as a starter. Only one goalie in college hockey (min. 10 games) had a better save percentage than Kotai’s .938 mark this season – Denver rookie backup Johnny Hicks, who’s posted a .958 mark in 17 outings entering tournament play.
At 6’1″ and 165 lbs, Kotai lacks size. It’s still hard to make the argument that he wasn’t the best undrafted goaltender available in this year’s NCAA free agent market, given what he’s done for the Vikings to date. He joins the Islanders’ pipeline, where he will challenge as the highest-ceiling option in the organization to support Ilya Sorokin long-term. None of their current AHL options are particularly inspiring, although 2024 fourth-round pick Dmitri Gamzin has now emerged as the starter for Russia’s CSKA Moscow with some great numbers. It’s unclear when, if at all, he plans to come stateside, but he’ll remain in Russia through at least the end of his current contract, which ends in 2027-28.
Senators Recall Jorian Donovan, Carter Yakemchuk
The Senators’ push for the playoffs got a lot murkier despite last night’s defensive standout win over the Rangers. The two points cost them both Thomas Chabot and Lassi Thomson on the blue line, who, head coach Travis Green said, would miss multiple games with apparent right wrist injuries and undisclosed injuries, respectively. Ottawa was already without Dennis Gilbert, Nick Jensen, and Jake Sanderson on defense, so they would need to recall a pair of rearguards from AHL Belleville before tonight’s game against the Red Wings to have six healthy ones. Those two beneficiaries are Jorian Donovan and Carter Yakemchuk, the team announced Tuesday morning.
Both will be making their NHL debuts tonight. It comes right on schedule for Yakemchuk, who, at seventh overall in 2024, Ottawa hopes will be the last high pick of their years-long rebuild. The 6’4″, 207-lb righty was a physically dominant offensive threat in his draft year for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, leading the league in goals by a defenseman that year with 30.
Since then, Yakemchuk’s development has hit some speed bumps. His post-draft year with the Hitmen immediately raised some red flags as his offensive production took a step back from 1.08 points per game in 2023-24 to 0.88 in 2024-25, particularly concerning considering he was already one of the oldest players in his class. Those concerns have only persisted as he made the adjustment to professional life in Belleville this season. He’s slotted in as their top offensive weapon on the blue line as expected, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with a 10-26–36 line in 50 games, but that’s been accompanied by a team-worst -30 rating and some glaring concerns regarding his defensive play.
He’ll need to work on that moving forward to ensure he doesn’t top out as a third-pairing threat at even strength to limit his minutes while serving as a power-play quarterback for the Sens. For now, while everyone involved hoped it would be under better circumstances, he’ll at least get his first taste of NHL play this year while getting a chance to boost his shot at a roster spot next October with a strong run of play in the absence of Ottawa’s two top two-way threats on defense in Chabot and Sanderson.
Donovan is a more unheralded prospect but an intriguing talent nonetheless. A fifth-round pick in 2022, the 6’2″ lefty is now 21 years old in his second season with the B-Sens. He’s coming along nicely as a well-rounded two-way piece who can wash out opponents with ease, recording a 4-17–21 line in 58 outings this season with a -12 rating and 70 penalty minutes.
His development at this stage significantly outpaces the normal curve of a fifth-rounder. Donovan now ranks #5 in Ottawa’s prospect pool and is their top left-shot option in the system, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic opined this month. The Calgary native “has the tools to become a No. 5-8 D and play NHL games” with “pro size and excellent skating,” Wheeler wrote.
Penguins Recall Ville Koivunen, Evgeni Malkin Day-To-Day
The Penguins announced that they’ve recalled winger Ville Koivunen from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. His elevation to the roster is connected with an upper-body injury to star Evgeni Malkin, whom the club said is day-to-day and has been ruled out for tonight’s game versus the Avalanche.
With Kevin Hayes not dressing for a contest since March 3, it appears Koivunen will slot right back into the lineup as Pittsburgh’s third-line left wing alongside Benjamin Kindel and Justin Brazeau. Anthony Mantha moves up to take Malkin’s place on the right flank on the second line with Egor Chinakhov and Thomas Novak, PuckPedia projects.
Koivunen had just been sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday before the Pens’ loss to the Hurricanes. He played for the Baby Pens that night, making him eligible to come back up to rejoin the NHL squad today.
The 22-year-old hasn’t had the season the Penguins hoped for, at least in the NHL. A second-round pick in 2021 by the Hurricanes, subsequently acquired in the Jake Guentzel deal a couple of years back, he’s been a downright elite producer in his native Finland and in the minors over the last few years. After notching seven assists through his first eight NHL contests last year as well, most had him penciled in for an opening night job.
Koivunen initially made the team but hasn’t stuck. He’s been recalled and sent down on a couple of occasions, most recently spending nearly two months in the minors before getting the call back to the NHL at the trade deadline. Across 33 games in Pittsburgh, he’s only averaging 12:38 of ice time per game with a 2-5–7 scoring line and a -5 rating. For a lanky 6’0″ winger with extremely limited physical involvement, if he’s not producing in a top-nine role, there’s little place for him in the lineup. Add in the immense success of Pittsburgh’s depth wingers this season, plus the Pens being outscored 14-10 with him on the ice at 5-on-5, and it’s no surprise that Koivunen hasn’t seen a ton of action lately.
He hasn’t let the lack of an NHL breakthrough this season affect his play in the minors one bit, though. After an All-Rookie Team worthy showing last season, he’s now clicking over a point per game in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with an 11-22–33 line in 29 games and a +7 rating. While his time on the roster is likely to last only as long as Malkin’s injury keeps him out, it’s still another chance for Koivunen to make a strong impression on Pittsburgh’s brass as a potential playoff option and to improve his standing entering next season’s training camp.
As for Malkin, it’s not clear what’s keeping him out. He wasn’t limited against the Canes, although he did struggle with a -2 rating in 16:05 of ice time. The lack of an apparent cause is more concerning than not – he missed nearly a month with an upper-body issue earlier in the season, so there’s a chance it’s a reaggravation or continuation of that issue.
The 39-year-old franchise icon remains invaluable, even as he’s been shifted off his natural center slot. His 52 points in 50 games this year are his best pace since before the pandemic and sit fifth on the team in scoring despite all the missed time. The Pens would surely prefer to rest him as much as possible to make sure he gets back to 100% before the playoffs, but with their chances at a favorable but still uncomfortable 77.3%, per MoneyPuck, they don’t have that luxury.
Panthers Recall Noah Gregor
The Panthers recalled winger Noah Gregor from AHL Charlotte on Tuesday, according to a team announcement. The veteran of over 300 NHL games has been stashed in the minors for over two months after clearing waivers in January, but now returns under emergency conditions to give Florida 12 forwards for their contest against the Kraken tonight.
Results don’t matter much for the Panthers at this point. The back-to-back Stanley Cup champions are ticketed to become the first reigning winners to miss the playoffs since the Kings in 2015. Still, their current injury list, particularly among forwards, is the stuff of nightmares. In addition to Aleksander Barkov, Jonah Gadjovich, Brad Marchand, and Cole Schwindt all being stashed on long-term injured reserve, they’re without four other names – A.J. Greer due to a suspension, plus Anton Lundell, Sam Reinhart, and Mackie Samoskevich due to undisclosed, day-to-day injuries. That’s five out of their regular top-nine forwards when healthy, in addition to multiple serviceable depth pieces.
Gregor will thus get the call in a fourth-line role until Florida can get some bodies back. He opened camp with Florida on a professional tryout contract before landing a two-way deal at the beginning of the regular season. He was limited to a goal and two assists in 24 games before being waived after the holiday break. Down in Charlotte for his first minor-league action in four years, the speedy depth winger has tallied 11 goals and 17 points in 25 outings.
The 27-year-old Gregor will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Once a 10-goal, 20-point piece with the Sharks earlier in the decade, he’s averaged only seven goals and 13 points per 82 games over his last three NHL seasons with stops in Toronto, Ottawa, a second stint in San Jose, and now Florida. If the Cats bring him back this summer, it’ll almost certainly be on another two-way pact.
Blackhawks Recall Anton Frondell
March 24: The Blackhawks announced Tuesday morning that they’ve officially recalled Frondell from Djurgardens. He has joined the team on their road trip ahead of tonight’s game against the Islanders, and he will be available to play. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters earlier this week (including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times) that Frondell would “play right away” once he arrives, so there’s a good chance he’s in the lineup tonight.
March 21: Chicago’s already young roster is about to get even younger for the stretch run. Top prospect Anton Frondell’s playoff run in the SHL came to an end today, paving the way for him to officially make his debut in North America. To that end, Scott Powers of The Athletic relays (subscription link) that the Blackhawks are expected to recall the youngster and he could make his NHL debut as soon as next week.
The 18-year-old was the third overall pick last June and the second forward to come off the board. Frondell spent most of his draft year in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan level, helping his club team Djurgardens earn a promotion to the SHL for this season. He fared quite well, tallying 11 goals and 14 assists in 29 regular season games while adding seven points in 16 playoff contests.
Although Frondell is a natural center, he spent the bulk of this season playing on the wing with Djurgardens. It allowed his scoring side to come out as he potted 20 goals (with eight assists) in 43 games, good for a tie for seventh league-wide in tallies. He also played a big role for Sweden at the World Juniors, chipping in with eight points in seven games en route to a gold medal. Now, he’s ready to take that next step and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him deployed on the wing in Chicago to allow him to ease in.
While Sacha Boisvert’s debut is presently on hold while he waits to receive his work visa, that won’t be the case for Frondell. The team clarified that Frondell already went through the visa process when he signed his entry-level deal over the summer. Accordingly, he’ll be eligible to play as soon as he joins the team.
But even with that, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Chicago manage Frondell’s minutes somewhat. While it rarely comes up at this time of the season, the Blackhawks would officially burn the first season of his contract if he plays in ten or more games. A Sunday debut seems highly unlikely but if he joins the team on their upcoming road trip, there will be a dozen games left in the season. It doesn’t seem worth burning a year to get him three extra games so the Blackhawks will likely limit Frondell’s game action to nine appearances or less to ensure he’ll still have three years left on his contract heading into next season. But even with that, Frondell will have some runway to get his feet wet at the top level before making a push for a full-time opportunity in 2026-27.