Predators Reassign Matt Murray
3/22: Ahead of their Sunday afternoon game in Chicago the Predators reassigned Murray to AHL Milwaukee. Still awaiting his debut with Nashville, the 28-year-old did not appear in a game, as Annunen won both games with excellent play in goal, headlined by a 40-save effort against Vegas. Saros has returned to action, getting the nod today.
3/19: The Nashville Predators had to change plans just before puck drop in Thursday night’s game against the Seattle Kraken. The team recalled depth goaltender Matt Murray to back up Justus Annunen after it was revealed that Juuse Saros would miss the game with an upper-body injury. The injury was sustained at morning practice, per Alex Daughterty of The Tennessean.
Murray is having to travel away from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, who are on their own road trip through Canada, to fill his recall to the NHL. He is traveling from Winnipeg to Nashville and is expected to arrive in the second half of the game, per NHL.com’s Brooks Bratten. That news will likely necessitate an emergency backup goalie in the stands for the first half of the game, though Nashville did not officially sign any temporary tryouts.
Saros is officially listed as out day-to-day. His absence will leave big shoes to fill after the veteran goaltender posted wins in four of his last five games, including back-to-back shootout wins. He has faced an average of 31 shots against since March 1st and posted a .910 save percentage in that stretch. That stretch has far outperformed Saros’ season-long performance, marked by 24 wins and a .894 save percentage in 51 games.
The Predators haven’t found much more relief in turning to backup Annunen, who has six wins and a .888 save percentage in 21 games this season. He has matched the save percentage he posted in 23 games with the Predators last season, after joining the team in a December 2024 trade that sent Scott Wedgewood to the Colorado Avalanche. Annunen will stand as the de facto starter if Saros is forced to miss additional time, as Murray hasn’t played in the NHL since the Dallas Stars’ 2023-24 season. He recorded a shutout in his last NHL contest.
Murray has spent this season in command of the Admirals’ starting crease. He has recorded 17 wins and a .908 save percentage in 37 games: team-highs in all three stats. His stat line was much stronger in his debut with the Admirals last season, when Murray posted 28 wins and a .932 save percentage in 43 games. He will offer extra hands if Nashville runs into another goalie injury – though the team should go back to their usual pairing of Saros and Annunen as soon as the former is back to health.
Penguins Sign Bill Zonnon To Entry Level Contract
This afternoon the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that top prospect Bill Zonnon has signed a three-year entry level contract. The 19-year-old will embark on his professional journey after an impressive QMJHL career.
A first round selection in last year’s draft (22nd overall), Zonnon put up 46 points in 35 games with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, as he battled injury throughout the campaign. Had he been able to play more, it’s production right on track with his outstanding 2024-25 with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, where he was among the league’s top scorers with 83 points across 64 contests.
Inspired as a youth watching P.K. Subban fly around for the Canadiens, the Montreal native picked up hockey, eventually growing into a 6’2″ frame as a strong power forward able to drive to the net relentlessly. Back in August, Zonnon was listed as the club’s sixth-best prospect by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, speaking to their deep prospect pool. Ellis mentioned Zonnon’s intangibles and ability to succeed alongside high-end play drivers, a formula which has worked for the Penguins for many years.
Zonnon has a likely middle-six ceiling with versatility as a key trait. He can contribute on special teams, both on the advantage and on the kill, although needing to iron out his skating mechanics to reach full potential.
It’s an exciting time for Penguins fans, as they’re well on their way to return to the playoffs this spring, while also offering several exciting young players on the rise. Zonnon was one of three first round Penguins last June by GM Kyle Dubas, a draft which gives the franchise the opportunity to set up a new wave of talent. It wasn’t the most fun past few years for Pittsburgh, but they never truly bottomed out, and now find themselves in an enviable position having reversed what seemed like a bleak future.
As they’re in the thick of the playoff hunt, it’s not likely Zonnon will suit up for the big club just yet. However, he’ll be a welcome addition to the fourth-ranked AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who have already secured a playoff spot. They already have a deep forward group, which will allow the rookie to ease into the lineup gradually and adjust to the professional game.
Along with several youngsters who will move their way into Pittsburgh alongside him, Zonnon can learn from the team’s leader in 31-year-old Mathew Dumba, who has over 700 games of NHL experience. All that to say, it’s a great environment for the prospect to enter this spring.
The Penguins have no reason to rush Zonnon into their lineup, as he’ll likely fine tune his game in the AHL in 2026-27. However, the team has several bottom six forwards with expiring contracts, and if he can make enough of an impression, the teenager has the skillset to contribute sooner rather than later.
Metropolitan Notes: Shea, Frank, Palmieri
Ahead of their matinee tilt against Carolina, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Muse told reporters, including Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports, that Ryan Shea is day-to-day with an apparent facial injury suffered yesterday against Winnipeg.
As a result, Ryan Graves will slot into the lineup today, not having played at the NHL level since January 21. Such is not what you want to see for any 30-year-old making $4.5MM for the next several years, but Shea’s emergence in 2025-26 at just $900k (set to expire this summer) has helped soften the blow considerably. And while Graves’ Penguins tenure has soured, few teams offer such accomplished blueliners as depth.
Drafted back in 2015 by Chicago, Shea was unable to break through for even a single game with the Dallas Stars despite strong AHL production. The 6’1” lefty then caught on with the Penguins in 2023, where he has broken out this year with 28 points in 69 games, his usage jumping to just below 19 minutes a night. As a result, it’s become apparent the 29-year-old late bloomer will be in for a big raise this offseason.
On the other hand, Graves comes back with just one point across 19 games this year. He’s been much more productive in the AHL for Wilkes-Barre with 10 in 15 games, skating in the AHL for the first time since as an Avalanche prospect in 2018-19. The traditional stats don’t look great, but Graves actually offers a solid 52.2% corsi for at five-on-five this season, an improvement over his past Penguins or Devils numbers. If anything, Shea’s performance has played a part in his short leash, playing just 15:29 a contest.
Closing in on an impressive return to the playoffs after a three year hiatus, the Pens will likely welcome back Shea next week, as soon as Tuesday against Colorado.
Elsewhere across the division:
- The Washington Capitals shared mid-game that Ethen Frank suffered a lower body injury and would not return. He was pushed into the post by Colorado’s Devon Toews, skating off while favoring his mid-section. A two-time Calder Cup champion with the Hershey Bears, the undrafted forward has emerged at age 28 as a full time NHLer. Frank has 24 points in 59 games as a productive bottom sixer with blistering speed. His efforts were rewarded with a two-year extension finalized earlier this month. It’s looking like the Caps will miss the playoffs for just the second time in the past decade, and hopefully Frank’s breakout campaign has not met an untimely end today.
- New York Islanders veteran Kyle Palmieri has started skating on his own, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com, as he works his way back from a torn ACL suffered in November. A return before next fall won’t be happening, but it’s encouraging news for the 35-year-old. Considering that Palmieri forced a turnover and earned an assist in an unforgettable moment moments after the major injury, it’s another example of his resilience. The winger will root on his club to make it into the playoffs, looking ahead to 2026-27, the final year of his contract. Always durable, Palmieri played in just 25 games this year, the fewest since the 2011-12 season, but he was still productive with 18 points.
Pittsburgh Penguins Reassign Ville Koivunen
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that forward Ville Koivunen has been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Koivunen, 22, was a healthy scratch for Pittsburgh’s last two games. The trickle-down effect of Sidney Crosby‘s return from injury on the rest of the lineup appears to have pushed Koivunen out of head coach Dan Muse’s regular set of forwards. Since the young forward is still a developing player, the Penguins likely prefer he play a regular top-line role in the AHL rather than serve as a regular healthy scratch at the NHL level – hence today’s transaction.
A 2021 second-round pick, Koivunen was acquired by the Penguins as part of the Jake Guentzel deal at the 2024 trade deadline. The Penguins acquired him as he was in the midst of a stellar season with Kärpät in Liiga, one where he scored 56 points in 59 games. Since then, he crossed the Atlantic to join the North American pro ranks full-time, and has been an instant high-end AHL scorer. In 91 career games with the AHL Penguins, Koivunen has scored 32 goals and 89 points.
Koivunen got a taste of NHL action last season and acquitted himself well, scoring seven points in eight games. He looked promising enough for the team at Elite Prospects to rank him the No. 2 prospect in the Penguins’ system entering the season, projected as a likely top-nine forward with top-six upside if things break right in his development.
This season, Koivunen has improved upon his already-stellar track record in the AHL, but found more difficulty than last season’s limited sample at the NHL level. Through 33 games, Koivunen has just seven points, and is averaging 12:38 time on ice per game. That’s not entirely out of the ordinary for a young forward, though, as translating AHL scoring to the NHL level is a difficult task posed to just about every premier AHL scorer whenever they’re called up.
With today’s reassignment, Koivunen will get the chance to string together some productive games at the AHL level, likely with the hope of earning another NHL recall this season. With Pittsburgh likely playoff-bound this year, though, it’s possible Muse may prefer a more experienced player in the NHL role once occupied by Koivunen.
Stefan Noesen Ruled Out For Season, Brett Pesce Questionable To Return
New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe announced today that injured forward Stefan Noesen has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, while defenseman Brett Pesce is “questionable” to return this year as well.
Noesen, 33, underwent knee surgery in January. From that point, he was considered out indefinitely, and now the Devils have confirmed that the surgery has ended his 2025-26 campaign.
It was a difficult season even before the injury for the veteran forward. He had a strong debut campaign in Newark last season, scoring a career-high 22 goals and 41 points in 78 games. He provided New Jersey with an instant return-on-investment after they paid him $2.75MM on a three-year deal to sign with them as an unrestricted free agent.
This season, Noesen’s numbers declined sharply. He scored just three goals and seven points in 38 contests, also seeing his average ice time decline from 15:55 per game to just 11:45 per game. Today’s news confirms that Noesen’s immediate priority will not be getting his scoring back on the right track, but instead will be about recovery and getting himself back into full health in time for next season.
Since New Jersey would need a miracle run to reach the playoffs at this point in the season, the confirmation of Noesen’s extended absence also allows the Devils to more fully shift their focus to developing younger players in the NHL, with an eye toward next season. It’s possible a younger winger such as Lenni Hameenaho pushes Noesen for minutes when both arrive at training camp later this year.
The loss of Pesce is arguably the more significant one for New Jersey, as he’s not only one of the team’s top defenseman, but he’s also a player the club has a major financial investment in. The 31-year-old costs $5.5MM against the cap through the end of the decade, meaning New Jersey has a pressing interest in ensuring he’s healthy and able to provide them with as much on-ice value over the course of his contract as possible. Pesce has been out since March 3 with a lower-body injury, and is considered week-to-week.
Seeing as the Devils, as previously mentioned, aren’t bound for the playoffs next month, the team is unlikely to have much interest in pushing the timeline to get Pesce back on the ice as soon as possible. Instead, a silver lining to the team’s uneven performance this season is that they will be able to afford Pesce as much time as possible to recover without any on-ice pressures.
Pesce has fit in well since arriving in New Jersey, bringing along his trademark steady, reliable defensive style. He was New Jersey’s No. 1 defenseman in terms of raw time on ice per game last season, averaging 21:19 per game, including a heavy penalty-killing role. This season, he ranks No. 3 as Luke Hughes has taken on a more commanding role on the team’s defense.
Gabriel Landeskog To Return To Avalanche Lineup
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will return to the ice against the Washington Capitals, head coach Jared Bednar told the media (including NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti) today. Landeskog has been out since March 6 with a lower-body injury, and has missed seven consecutive games.
Landeskog’s return will give the Avalanche a boost as they ready for what the team hopes (or even expects) is to be a deep playoff run starting next month. Landeskog, who missed nearly three full years of hockey recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery he underwent after winning the Stanley Cup in 2022, has returned to being a top-six player for the Avalanche.
While he hasn’t produced at the same level he was at when he was last a healthy NHL player (he scored 30 goals and 59 points in just 51 games in 2021-22), he’s still been a productive member of an Avalanche team that has been the class of the league in 2025-26. Through 47 games, he’s scored nine goals and 29 points, which is a 16-goal, 51-point 82-game scoring pace. He’s scored at that rate despite no longer being a staple on the team’s first power play unit.
With Landeskog injured, the Avalanche elevated veteran Valeri Nichushkin to Landeskog’s previous role, which was as the first-line left wing alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas.
Nichushkin is coming off of a game two days ago in which he scored a goal and added an assist in the team’s win over the Chicago Blackhawks, so it’s possible Bednar won’t want to separate that first line even with Landeskog returning. If that’s the case, he could find a landing spot on Colorado’s second line, which is currently a trio of three centers (Nazem Kadri, Brock Nelson, Nicolas Roy).
If anything, Landeskog’s return could provide better balance to the Avalanche lineup, as the team is currently staffing its bottom-six with players relatively short on NHL experience. In the team’s most recent game, their fourth line combined for 41 games of total NHL experience from before 2025-26.
NHL, CHL Nearing New AHL Loan Agreement
Last week, we covered reporting that indicated that the NHL was set to meet with the CHL to discuss potential changes to the league’s transfer agreement with the CHL, one that currently prevents NHL teams from, in most circumstances, loaning 19-year-old CHL players to their AHL affiliate. At the time, it appeared unclear what the exact nature of the rule change would be.
Yesterday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman provided some clarity in that area, reporting on the Saturday Headlines segment of the Hockey Night In Canada broadcast that the NHL, AHL, and CHL are nearing an agreement that would pave the way for 19-year-old CHLers to be eligible for the AHL, under specific circumstances.
Per Friedman, previously-ineligible 19-year-old CHLers drafted in the first round will be eligible to be loaned to the AHL, as soon as next season. There is no limit on how many players an organization can loan, the key stipulation is just that the player must be drafted in the first round. The agreement still needs to be approved by the NHLPA before it can be made official.
Ryan Pike of Flames Nation laid out a list of the 2007-born first-round picks who would be impacted by this rule, players who could be eligible for an AHL assignment if the rule is implemented before the 2026-27 season. There are thirteen players in total who would be impacted by this rule for next season, although some, such as Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, and Ben Kindel, figure to play next season in the NHL.
Where the rule change could have the most impact is with players who are not locks to be full-time NHLers next season. Two top centers drafted last year, Brady Martin and Caleb Desnoyers, could be prime candidates to benefit from an AHL assignment.
For organizations that have a strong track record of player development at the AHL level, this pending rule change will allow them to further lean into that competitive advantage. The Nashville Predators, for example, have a lengthy history of developing NHL players who first play with the Milwaukee Admirals. They have two players (Martin and No. 21 pick Cam Reid) who would be eligible to play in Milwaukee on a full-time basis under the new rule.
There are numerous players who, in the past, could have benefited from this rule change. 2022 No. 7 pick Kevin Korchinski is an example, as a young defenseman who played in 76 NHL games the year after he was drafted. The Blackhawks were unable to assign Korchinski to the AHL, and had to choose between the NHL and CHL.
The Blackhawks reportedly believed Korchinski did not stand to benefit much (developmentally) from a return to the CHL, given that he had won the WHL title the year prior and had already developed into an elite point-producing defenseman at that level. So, they kept him in the NHL for all of 2023-24, as they were not allowed to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
Korchinski struggled to keep his head above water as a rookie, and has played in just 20 NHL games since that year. He is, undoubtedly, an example of a top prospect who likely would have benefited from being able to start off his pro career in the AHL, rather than needing to start in the NHL because his options were limited by transfer restrictions.
With the rule change set to be implemented, it seems those days will be a thing of the past for first-round prospects. It’s also worth wondering whether teams targeting a specific CHL talent near the top of the second round of upcoming drafts might attempt to trade into the final few picks of the first round, just to make that player eligible for AHL assignment under this new rule.
There is a precedent for teams maneuvering in the draft in such a way – albeit in other professional sports leagues. Such a strategy would be similar to draft maneuvering that sometimes occurs in the NFL, where teams have traded for a late first-round pick in an effort to secure a fifth-year option on a targeted prospect’s rookie contract. The Baltimore Ravens famously did this in 2018 to secure a fifth year-option on the rookie deal of future MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.
While it’s too early to tell the full impact of this NHL/AHL/CHL rule change, it’s possible the implications of this change could stretch into the draft process itself.
Morning Notes: Gilbert, Ersson, Reedy
Ottawa Senators defenseman Dennis Gilbert was forced out of last night’s contest with an apparent injury, one he suffered after being on the receiving end of a big hit by Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Gilbert ended up down on the ice after Ekman-Larsson’s hit, and left the game shortly afterward without returning.
After the game, Senators head coach Travis Green told the media, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that Gilbert is set to miss some time as a result of the injury he suffered. His exact return timeline and status are still being evaluated. It’s an undoubtedly unfortunate break for Gilbert, a 29-year-old journeyman depth blueliner. He had played in five consecutive NHL games including last night, representing five of his six total NHL games played this season. As a result of the injury, it’s possible the pending UFA has already played in his final NHL game of the 2025-26 season.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Late last month, we covered reports coming out of Philadelphia that indicated that Flyers netminder Samuel Ersson was entering a critical stretch of his season where his future in the organization would likely be finalized. While The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz wrote today that it “seems unlikely” Ersson will be back with the Flyers next season, it’s not for a lack of trying. Ersson has won his last three starts and has a .920 save percentage and 1.74 goals-against average in his last four games played. But despite that notable uptick in recent form, it’s worth noting Ersson’s season-long numbers are still weak, including an .864 save percentage across 28 games that remains the league’s worst among goalies with at least 20 starts.
- The New York Islanders’ AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, released veteran forward Scott Reedy from his PTO, per Kenny Kaminsky of Isles In The Sound. Reedy, 26, got a tryout from the Islanders back in February but went scoreless in six games played for Bridgeport. It’s been a tough few years for Reedy as he’s tried to work his way back into NHL consideration after a strong 2021-22 campaign that saw him score 18 goals in the AHL and earn 35 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks, where he would score seven goals. Last season, Reedy scored nine points in 25 games for the Milwaukee Admirals.
East Notes: Greer, Stolarz, Quick
In a somewhat surprising development, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced it would have a phone hearing for Florida Panthers forward A.J. Greer for his hit against Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary.
Ultimately, it means that Greer won’t be given a suspension any longer than five games. On the play in question, Greer was assessed a two-minute minor for hooking, a five-minute major for interference, and a 10-minute game misconduct. Essentially, Greer hit Zary from behind into the boards, well before there was any expectation of incidental contact.
At the very least, it suggests that the NHL DoPS isn’t feeling any outside pressure to change the way they assess supplementary discipline. After Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas was suspended for five games for delivering a knee-to-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, who suffered a season-ending injury due to the incident, there was an outcry from fans and media for the DoPS to impose stricter discipline to prevent such situations in the future.
Other Eastern Conference notes:
- Netminder Anthony Stolarz did not make his scheduled start tonight because of an injury suffered in warm-ups. Before the game, the Maple Leafs announced that Stolarz was struck in the neck by a puck during warm-ups and was subsequently taken to a local hospital for further testing. Toronto has not provided any additional updates regarding Stolarz since.
- There is additional context regarding the New York Rangers’ recall of netminder Dylan Garand yesterday. According to Andrew Crane of the New York Post, veteran netminder Jonathan Quick is dealing with a minor upper-body ailment. Regardless, the expectation is that Garand will make his NHL debut while Quick is sidelined.
Rangers Sign Drew Fortescue To Entry-Level Contract
8:00 p.m.: PuckPedia shared Fortescue’s contract details, sharing that it would be a $923K cap hit and $950K AAV:
- 2025-26: $775K salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K performance bonus, $82.5K minors salary
- 2026-27: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $82.5K minors salary
- 2027-28: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $82.5K minors salary
6:00 p.m.: According to a team announcement, the New York Rangers have signed defensive prospect Drew Fortescue to a three-year, entry-level contract. Instead of joining the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack on an amateur tryout agreement to conclude the season, Fortescue will immediately report to the Rangers and burn the first year of his new contract.
Fortescue, 20, was drafted by the Rangers with the 90th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. The Pearl River, NY native spent his draft season and the year before with the United States National Team Development Program, where he scored three goals and 42 points in 113 games with a +34 rating split between their U17 and U18 clubs.
The year after being drafted by New York, Fortescue joined the Boston College Eagles to continue his development. He joined a loaded squad for his freshman campaign. During the 2023-24 season, the Eagles were led by Will Smith, Cutter Gauthier, Ryan Leonard, and teammate Gabriel Perreault.
Fortescue had a decent freshman season, scoring four goals and eight points with a +13 rating in 40 contests. Boston College made it all the way to the National Championship game before being shut out by the University of Denver. The Eagles haven’t made it to a Frozen Four since.
Still, Fortescue continues to improve his game, scoring four goals and 25 points in 72 games combining his sophomore and junior seasons, managing a +31 rating. He was solid for Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championships, accumulating one goal and four points in 14 games with a +12 rating with the U20 club.
As shown by his collegiate output, the Rangers shouldn’t expect Fortescue to come in and take the league by storm like Matthew Schaefer or Lane Hutson. Still, he is an extremely reliable defenseman on the breakout and brings a mature game in transition.
Putting it simply, Fortescue will unlikely be a player that you notice too much, but he won’t be a player you worry about much either. Given that New York has little to play for beyond pride to finish the 2025-26 campaign, Fortescue should receive a decent opportunity to test his mettle at the NHL level.