Penguins Sign Jake Livanavage To Entry-Level Deal
The Penguins signed undrafted free agent defenseman Jake Livanavage to a two-year, entry-level contract on Friday, per a team announcement. The contract begins immediately with a prorated cap hit of $975K, per PuckPedia. He’ll be greeted by a $97.5K signing bonus and a prorated salary of $877.5K. Those two figures carry into next season, joined by up to $250K in Schedule ‘A’ performance bonuses and a $85K salary if he’s in the AHL.
By signing a deal that begins now, Livanavage will report to Pittsburgh, not AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He is ineligible for an AHL assignment, nor will he be an option for the Pens in the playoffs since he wasn’t on their reserve list at the trade deadline. He is eligible to play in any of their three remaining regular-season contests, however, and will be a restricted free agent following the 2026-27 campaign.
Livanavage, 21, is a premier offensive threat who’s long been overlooked because of his 5’10”, 174-lb frame. Some scouts viewed him going as high as the third round when he was initially draft-eligible back in 2022, but he ended up falling through the cracks for several years.
During that time, he made the jump from the USHL’s Chicago Steel to the University of North Dakota, where he’s emerged as one of the NCAA’s top blue-liners. He was the Fighting Hawks’ clear-cut #1 option this season on a team that saw its season come to an end at the hands of Wisconsin in last night’s national semifinal, racking up a 5-20–25 scoring line in 39 games with a career-best +15 rating.
Livanavage has received year-end All-Star consideration in the NCHC in every season of his collegiate career. The junior logged over 25 minutes per night for North Dakota this season en route to his second regular-season conference title.
If he carves out an NHL role, it’ll likely be as a bottom-pairing piece at even strength and as a power-play specialist. The Penguins do have some long-term uncertainty on the left side and would presumably like to develop a succession plan to replace the declining Kris Letang as the second-unit power play quarterback. He could get a brief look there if he dresses down the stretch before competing for a roster spot in the fall.
Frank Seravalli of Victory+ was first to report that Livanavage was signing with Pittsburgh.
Devils Recall Nico Daws, Topias Vilen
The Devils recalled goaltender Nico Daws and defenseman Topias Vilen from AHL Utica on Friday, per a team announcement. They’ll be on hand for tomorrow’s game against the Red Wings.
With New Jersey not headed to the playoffs, they’re likely taking an opportunity to get some younger faces into the lineup over their final few games. There’s more of a direct need for Vilen’s services. The 23-year-old lefty could make his NHL debut tomorrow in place of Luke Hughes, who opted for an early end to his season to undergo a much-needed shoulder surgery.
Hughes was shut down before last night’s game against the Penguins, meaning Dennis Cholowski, the team’s only healthy extra on the blue line, dressed in his stead. It was the 28-year-old’s first appearance since being recalled in early March and his first NHL game since Dec. 14. After he posted a -2 rating in 17:40 of ice time, it’s no surprise to see New Jersey want to get a younger, higher-upside face in the lineup for their last three games.
Vilen is now in his third season stateside. A fifth-round pick by the Devils back in 2021, the 6’1″ lefty has been a consistent two-way piece in Utica with a career 7-70–77 scoring line in 171 AHL games with a +5 rating. That includes a career-high four goals and 20 assists for 24 points in 59 appearances this season.
Selected from Pelicans in Finland’s Liiga, he checks in as the #11 prospect in New Jersey’s pool and #3 among left-handed defenders behind 2024 10th overall pick Anton Silayev (#2) and 2022 fourth-rounder Daniil Orlov (#6), per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. He’s shown enough in his toolkit at the AHL level that he could end up being a bottom-pairing, penalty-killing staple for the Devils in the next couple of years. His entry-level contract is wrapping up this summer, but given his consistency in minor league play, he’s a strong candidate to receive a qualifying offer.
The 25-year-old Daws already has 48 career starts and 53 appearances to his name, but just one of them has come this season. The Devils’ third-stringer got a lone early-season tryout against the Wild back on Oct. 22 while Jacob Markström was dealing with a lower-body injury, allowing just one goal on 31 shots for a shimmering .968 SV% in a 4-1 win.
Daws is an interesting study. The 2020 third-rounder is certainly too old now to be considered a true prospect, and his AHL track record isn’t great. He has an .891 SV% and 2.84 GAA in 42 showings for Utica this season, which will be his third straight finishing below a .900 SV% in the minors.
His recent NHL samples, however, have been excellent. On top of his great start back in October, he had a similarly strong .939 SV%, 1.60 GAA, and 3-1-0 record in six showings in #3 duties last year. That’s good for 7.0 goals saved above expected in his last seven NHL appearances, per MoneyPuck.
Markström is signed through 2027-28, and veteran backup Jake Allen is under contract through 2029-30, so there’s no clear pathway yet for Daws to see more NHL ice next season. He’s in the last year of his contract but is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, so the Devils can easily retain him if they choose, knowing he might not clear waivers in the fall.
Flames Sign Abram Wiebe To Entry-Level Deal
1:15 p.m.: The Flames have officially announced Wiebe’s signing. Per PuckPedia, it’s actually a cap hit of $950K that carries an NHL salary of $855K, a $95K signing bonus, and a minors salary of $82.5K each season. He’ll be owed a $940.5K qualifying offer upon expiry in 2027 as a 10.2(c) player.
10:48 a.m.: The Flames are expected to sign defense prospect Abram Wiebe to his entry-level contract, per reports from Frank Seravalli of Victory+ and Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. It will be a two-year deal that will take effect immediately, carrying a prorated cap hit of $980K and making him a restricted free agent following the 2026-27 season.
Wiebe’s junior season at the University of North Dakota came to an end Thursday afternoon as the Fighting Hawks were upset in the NCAA national semifinals by Wisconsin. Calgary had acquired the 22-year-old’s signing rights from the Golden Knights in January as part of the Rasmus Andersson deal. He was a seventh-round pick in Vegas in 2022, then out of the Chilliwack Chiefs of the junior-level British Columbia Hockey League.
The 6’3″, 209-lb lefty has had a good run at North Dakota over the past few years. After being named the BCHL’s top defenseman and a first-team All-Star in 2022-23, he compiled a 10-53–63 scoring line with a +25 rating in 118 career outings for the Fighting Hawks.
He capped things off with a 29-point, +13 showing in 40 games this season as an alternate captain, serving as their #2 defenseman behind undrafted free agent Jake Livanavage and playing over 20 minutes a night. He made it onto the NCHC’s second All-Star team and helped propel the Fighting Hawks to their second regular-season conference championship in his three years with the program.
Needless to say, Wiebe turns pro carrying more prestige than a standard seventh-rounder. He’s the #9 prospect in a Calgary pool that ranks top-three in the league, according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, and is of particular long-term importance to a club without much current or future depth on the left side of their blue line.
Their current group of lefties consists of Kevin Bahl, Olli Määttä, Joel Hanley and Yan Kuznetsov – all of whom are signed through at least next season. Bahl and Hanley are currently injured, though, so there’s an immediate opportunity for Wiebe to step into a third-pairing role behind Kuznetsov and Määttä for the final four games of the season.
New York Islanders May Retain Patrick Roy
Even after firing him as the head coach a few days ago, the relationship between the New York Islanders and Patrick Roy may not be fully severed. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News (and first reported by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan), there is a growing likelihood that the Islanders will retain Roy in a scouting capacity.
Although General Manager Mathieu Darche was discontent with Roy leading the Islanders from the bench, he never grew discontent with Roy personally or professionally. In the report, Rosner said, “Darche & Roy became incredibly close over this season. Roy has great respect & admiration for the org, the players here, so it wouldn’t shock me if he stayed onboard in some capacity.”
If the Islanders do retain Roy as a scout, it would be the first time he’s been employed in the role in his post-playing career. Still, even as a “rookie” scout, Roy has as much professional experience as you could want.
Even without factoring in his illustrious 19-year playing career, Roy has been involved in the game at various levels since. After retiring following the 2002-03 season, Roy became the Vice President of Hockey Operations for the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts, where he also owned the franchise.
Until becoming the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, Roy also served as the Remparts General Manager and head coach. Following his departure from the Avalanche in 2016, Roy returned to his role with the Remparts, where he stayed until taking the job with the Islanders.
Given his experience at various levels of the game, Roy should have no issues being a productive scout at the amateur or professional setting. Still, it takes two to tango, and no reports indicate that Roy would be interested in a scouting role. The NHL offseason is only a few months away, and Roy will likely make a firm decision over the summer.
Detroit Red Wings Recall Michal Postava
Following up on last night’s update that John Gibson wouldn’t return to the game for the Detroit Red Wings, the team provided indirect confirmation that Gibson’s short-term outlook isn’t great. Detroit announced that they’ve recalled netminder Michal Postava from AHL Grand Rapids under emergency conditions.
As PHR’s Bradley Keith explained yesterday evening, “Gibson was run into by Philadelphia’s Owen Tippett, ending his night after 30:40 in the crease, giving up two goals on 15 shots.” Depending on the severity of Gibson’s injury, he could miss the Red Wings’ remaining three games of the regular season over the next five days.
Without Gibson, any remaining chances of making the playoffs would be significantly diminished. In late February, Detroit had over an 80% chance of making the postseason. After their third consecutive collapse in March, their chances stand at 6% according to MoneyPuck.
If they’re officially eliminated over the next few days, and Gibson remains out with injury, there is a chance Postava could make his NHL debut. After an impressive performance with HC Kometa Brno of the Czech Extraliga last season, the Red Wings signed Postava ahead of the current campaign.
Playing second fiddle to top goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa in Grand Rapids, the 24-year-old Postava has made a promising introduction to North American hockey. In 23 games for the Griffins, Postava has managed a 15-6-0 record with a .935 SV% and 1.78 GAA, including three shutouts.
Assuming the Red Wings let veteran Cam Talbot pursue greener pastures this summer, and Cossa makes Detroit’s roster out of training camp, Postava should assume the starting role in Grand Rapids. If his early signs are any indication of what’s to come, he should have no issue managing a heavier workload next year.
Red Wings Assign Jesse Kiiskinen To AHL
According to a team announcement, the Detroit Red Wings have assigned Finnish prospect Jesse Kiiskinen to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Kiiskinen will play the brief remainder of the 2025-26 regular season and Calder Cup playoffs with the Griffins.
In Scott Wheeler’s updated prospect rankings list on The Athletic, Kiiskinen clocked in as Detroit’s 15th-ranked prospect in a top-five farm system. He is one of the few on that list who wasn’t drafted under Steve Yzerman‘s regime.
Kiiskinen was drafted by the Nashville Predators with the 68th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. He was moved a year later in a peculiar trade with the Red Wings, who sent defensive prospect and recent second-round pick Andrew Gibson to the Predators for Kiiskinen and Tampa Bay’s 2024 second-round pick.
The jury is out on which team ultimately won the rare prospect-for-prospect trade, but the early returns are good for Detroit. Although Gibson has had a solid start to his AHL career, Kiiskinen tore up the Finnish Liiga with HPK the last two years.
During his age 19 and 20 seasons, Kiiskinen scored 31 goals and recorded 72 points in 100 games, achieving a +2 rating. For many North American fans unfamiliar with Finnish hockey, his breakout performance a few years ago at the IIHF World Junior Championships stands out. While playing for Team Finland, he scored six goals and recorded seven points in seven games, contributing to Finland’s silver medal finish in the tournament.
Still, as solid as his production in the Finnish professional circuit has been, he’ll have to continue that trajectory in Michigan. The Red Wings have a glut of forward prospects in the AHL with similar potential, with only so many spots on the roster. If he wants to get an edge on his coworkers, he’ll have to continue his impressive scoring pace.
Injury Notes: Josi, Heiskanen, Gibson, Dewar
In desperate need of a win to keep playoff hopes alive, the Nashville Predators will have to do so without a top player. Just before puck drop in Utah, the team shared that captain Roman Josi won’t play, listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
The news comes as a surprise, but Josi played just 15:31 on Tuesday against Anaheim, far below his team-leading 24:50 average usage. In his place comes Jordan Oesterle, who was recalled earlier in the week with Nicolas Hague also out.
Oesterle, 33, will make his season debut having played over 60 games in the AHL for the first time since 2014-15. As far as fill-in defenders go, teams can certainly do worse than the Michigan native and his over 400 games of NHL experience. Never known for offense at the NHL level, he’s put up 46 points in 65 games with the Milwaukee Admirals, good for second on the team and by far his highest output as a pro.
For Josi to miss such a critical game, it raises the question if he’ll have to miss more of the team’s three remaining contests. Until that’s determined, Nashville must march ahead in their quest to hold off the Kings for a spot in the postseason. They’d be rewarded with a matchup against the league’s top team in Colorado. It would be an unfavorable matchup, to say the least, but a nice ending nonetheless for retiring general manager Barry Trotz.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Top defender Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars left with an apparent lower body injury. He was listed as questionable by the team, but still has not returned, enough cause for concern. The superstar absorbed a routine hit from Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman, but as he fell down, his skate got caught and caused an awkward leg bend. As deep as Dallas is on the back-end, losing Heiskanen now would be devastating as they have a roster quite capable of hoisting the Stanley Cup this spring. It’s the worst fear of any top team in April. The 26-year-old leads all skaters with nearly 26 minutes a night, and fourth in team scoring with 63 points in 76 games. Still not officially ruled out, his status will be watched urgently for updates, as the Stars will be back on Saturday against the Rangers.
- Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson left tonight’s contest against the Flyers with an apparent injury, listed as questionable from the team, and didn’t return. Gibson was run into by Philadelphia’s Owen Tippett, ending his night after 30:40 in the crease, giving up two goals on 15 shots. It would take a relative miracle for the Wings to make the playoffs at this point, but they did themselves favors with a win tonight. Losing Gibson for an extended time could sink remaining hopes, as the 32-year-old has outperformed Cam Talbot all year. Often injured, Gibson has managed 54 games in his first season as a Red Wing, winning 28 of them with a 2.63 goals-against-average. He’ll hope to be back by Saturday, as Detroit hosts New Jersey.
- Pittsburgh Penguins forward Connor Dewar is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per the team, and was unable to go against New Jersey. Playing without the 26-year-old for the first time this season, the Penguins still took care of business and officially clinched a playoff spot. In 78 games on the season, Dewar has enjoyed a breakout campaign with 14 goals and 30 points, career bests by a wide margin. He has quickly found a home in Pittsburgh, playing the highest minutes of his career and anchoring the penalty kill. With three games left, Dewar figures to be back in time for the playoffs, and could return as soon as Saturday against Washington.
Hurricanes Resting Numerous Players
Shortly before tonight’s game against Chicago, the Carolina Hurricanes shared several who won’t play: Jalen Chatfield, Jaccob Slavin, Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook, Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho, and Andrei Svechnikov.
A laundry list, it’s enough to raise some eyebrows, but the main motivation of doing so is rest against a bottom-ranked team. The Hurricanes already locked up their divisional title, as they await their first round opponent, currently projected to be Ottawa if the playoffs started today.
Only one of the bunch is known to be injured, Chatfield, who left Tuesday’s action and is not 100%, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told the media, including Walt Ruff, team reporter.
Yesterday the club recalled Skyler Brind’Amour, Bradly Nadeau, Josiah Slavin, and Charles-Alexis Legault from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, and sure enough each of them are in the lineup tonight. It’s perfect timing considering they’re able to join the Hurricanes right across town, in time to play the nearby Blackhawks with limited disruption.
Brind’Amour’s presence is impossible to miss on name alone, as he’ll play with his father behind the bench for the first time since last year. No stranger to such April call-up duty, he found the back of the net for his first NHL goal late last season. The local product has become a respectable AHLer in his own right, sixth on the Wolves in scoring with 34 points in 66 games this year.
Slavin also carries a name synonymous with the Canes, as the brother of Jaccob. The 27-year-old is making his team debut, with first NHL action since 2021-22. A respected veteran at the AHL level, the winger is the captain of the Wolves, putting up 25 points in 66 games.
With the sentimental call-ups aside, Nadeau stands out as a promising youngster. The 20-year-old was a first rounder of the Canes in 2023 (30th overall) and already has the most NHL experience out of the bunch at 11 games (three points). Boasting an elite shot, the 5’11” winger is considered Carolina’s top forward prospect, with real top six upside. His AHL production has been excellent, 58 goals across 115 regular season games, and he’ll enjoy a spot on the second line still working to put it together at the highest level.
Finally, Legault is the only defenseman of the bunch, where he’s locked in on the third pairing. The 22-year-old has managed to skate in eight games with the big club this year, recording two points. The Quebec native has only modest AHL numbers, but at 6’4”, he hardly has to contribute in that area.
Carolina’s farmhands clinched a playoff spot, so the four will be summoned back across town shortly. The Hurricanes have three more regular season games after tonight, and they will rotate their lineup, continuing to be careful with more pressing matters around the corner.
Maple Leafs Announce Several Roster Moves
Earlier this afternoon the Toronto Maple Leafs shared several roster moves: Benoit-Olivier Groulx has been assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, while a number of players have been recalled from the farm club on an emergency basis. Goaltender Artur Akhtyamov, forwards Luke Haymes and Ryan Tverberg, and defenseman William Villeneuve have all joined the Leafs ahead of their game at the Islanders.
A number of Maple Leafs are banged up, and with games inconsequential at this point, they have little to lose in giving a look at some younger players. Out of the bunch, Akhtyamov and Haymes are in the lineup, while Tverberg and Villeneuve were not needed tonight after all.
Headed back down, Groulx made a name for himself quickly, as he’s led the Marlies in scoring with 27 tallies in 55 games in 2025-26. A former notable Ducks prospect drafted in the second round, the French center provided a spark with five points in his first six games as a Leaf in early March. He’s since been scoreless in seven straight, despite a decent share of usage. With just three games left on the schedule, Toronto may leave Groulx to stay down as a top AHL contributor.
Akhtyamov, 24, made his NHL debut in December where he made five saves in just 10:32 of action. Tonight presents a taller task, as he’ll have to backstop the Leafs against a desperate Islanders club in new head coach Peter DeBoer’s debut.
Chosen in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, the Russian has gotten a steady dose of action with the Marlies over the past two seasons, posting a save percentage over the .900 mark across 62 regular season games. As part of a thin pool, Akhtyamov has been referenced as a top 10 prospect which would not be the case in some other organizations. Sitting behind fellow 24-year-old Dennis Hildeby, and with Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll locked up for the foreseeable future, he faces a long road toward his projected upside as a NHL backup.
Up front, it’ll be a memorable night for Haymes, as he’s making his NHL debut. Centering the third line, the 22-year-old was undrafted out of Dartmouth College, catching on with Toronto and taking a step forward with 32 points in 64 games with the Marlies this year.
As a do-it-all forward in the Marlies’ middle six, the 6’1” lefty would hope to follow a Bobby McMann type of development curve, eventually becoming a surprise NHL contributor. Even if a 20-goal output isn’t on the horizon though, Haymes has the skillset to be a depth bottom sixer at the NHL level, having progressed nicely this season.
Villeneuve, 24, is also a fourth rounder of Toronto’s 2020 draft class. Over the past four years the 6’2” lefty has put up strong offensive numbers with the Marlies, including a 40-point effort in 55 games last season, but he’s still awaiting his NHL debut. A restricted free agent this summer, he’d certainly enjoy an opportunity to showcase his strong skating and offensive instincts, but even if it doesn’t come, Villeneuve is a valuable AHLer.
Rounding out the bunch, Tverberg shares the distinction of being a 2020 draftee, although his name wasn’t called until the seventh round. The former University of Connecticut standout has put together a solid season in the AHL with 32 points in 61 games, impressive for any player drafted 213th overall. The Ontario native has blistering speed, crucial for any energy forward hopeful, and similar to Villeneuve, an NHL appearance would go a long way before contract expiration shortly.
After tonight’s action on Long Island, Toronto is off until Saturday as they’ll host Florida. That’s likely enough time for their roster to heal up, leaving the group to return to the Marlies, who have secured a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs and therefore will be needing them back.
Lightning Activate Declan Carlile
The Tampa Bay Lightning have activated defenseman Declan Carlile off of long-term injured reserve in advance of tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, according to Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider.
Carlile, 25, has been sidelined since March 12 with a lower-body injury. Before his injury, Carlile was in the midst of the strongest season of his career at the professional level. The former Merrimack College rearguard has flown past his prior career highs in terms of NHL games played, skating in 38 games for the Lightning this season.
Tampa Bay has developed Carlile into a valuable AHL player, and their work in growing his game has begun to bear fruit for their NHL squad. While he’s still a depth contributor for the Lightning, averaging under 15 minutes of ice time per game, he has shown some promise as a shutdown blueliner. Head coach Jon Cooper has even begun to give him some time on the penalty kill.
Set to hit restricted free agency this summer, Carlile has a big opportunity ahead of him in what remains of the season. If he can find a way to get into Cooper’s lineup in the games left in the regular season, or perhaps even crack the team’s playoff lineup, he could further increase his odds of landing a solid contract extension this summer.
This season, Carlile has played on a two-way contract with a $250K AHL salary and $350K guarantee. Given the steps forward Carlile has taken this year, it seems entirely possible, if not likely, that he’ll earn the first one-way NHL contract of his career this summer. Before he gets to that point, though, he’ll need to finish this season with the Lightning in a strong fashion.