Mammoth Recall Maksymilian Szuber, Assign Scott Perunovich
The Utah Mammoth have joined many teams in rotating around their roster days before the NHL returns from the Olympic break. Defenseman Maksymilian Szuber has been recalled to the NHL club while Scott Perunovich has been assigned to the minor leagues, per a team announcement.
It is unclear if Szuber will stick with the NHL club through their return to game action but the young prospect has had a strong start to the year. Szuber has recorded 10 goals, 24 points, 38 penalty minutes, and a plus-five in 44 games with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. He has been involved all over the ice, using his big frame to dominate play up-and-down the ice. That presence has established Szuber as Tucson’s second-best defenseman behind Utah top prospect Dmitry Simashev – though Szuber is the only blue-liner on the team with double-digit goals.
Narrowly above both Szuber and Simashev in scoring is the veteran Perunovich, who has three goals and 30 points in 43 AHL games this season. The 27 year old has landed in Utah’s AHL system after failing to stick in the NHL lineup for the St. Louis Blues or New York Islanders. He has racked up 32 points in 108 NHL games dating back to 2021 but hasn’t yet debuted with the Utah Mammoth.
With this move, Perunovich seems set to continue filling his top-four role with the Roadrunners, while Szuber could earn his second NHL game. The German defender will compete with Ian Cole, Olli Maatta, and Kevin Connauton for time in the lineup. He made his debut with the Mammoth last season and recorded one penalty and a minus-one.
Flyers Recall Adam Ginning, Reassign Aleksei Kolosov
2/22: After a day of practice, the Flyers have opted to return Kolosov to the minor leagues. He will continue to suit up for Lehigh Valley while Philadelphia rides Daniel Vladar and Samuel Ersson as their top two goalies.
2/21: The Flyers continue to shuffle their roster around to ensure that they have ample bodies for practice before games resume next week. The team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled goaltender Aleksei Kolosov and defenseman Adam Ginning from AHL Lehigh Valley.
Kolosov has had multiple stints with Philadelphia this season, one of those coming before the Olympic break with Samuel Ersson dealing with a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old has made four NHL appearances this season, allowing eight goals on just 47 shots. Kolosov fared a little better at the top level last season, however, putting up a 3.59 GAA and a .867 SV% in 17 outings with the Flyers.
Kolosov has made 24 appearances in the minors with the Phantoms and has performed much better at that level. He has a 2.65 GAA and a .909 SV% in those outings along with a pair of shutouts. While Ersson was initially expected to be back after the Olympic break, Kolosov could find himself up with the big club for more than a few days if Ersson ultimately needs a bit more time to recover.
As for Ginning, he made Philadelphia’s roster out of training camp but was primarily in a reserve role. Accordingly, he has only played in five games with the Flyers this season and is still looking for his first point. Ginning ultimately cleared waivers in mid-November and aside from a brief stint with Philadelphia in January (where he didn’t play), he has been with Lehigh Valley since then. He’s played in 29 games for the Phantoms and has a goal and three assists.
With Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen still in Italy for the Olympics, it’s fair to say that Ginning’s promotion will be a short-term one for practice purposes only and that it will take an injury or two for him to have a realistic shot of getting back into Philadelphia’s lineup. To make room for the recalls, both Olympic blueliners have been moved to non-roster status.
Nashville Predators Recall Zachary L’Heureux, Matthew Wood
The Nashville Predators announced today that forwards Zachary L’Heureux and Matthew Wood have been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.
With the Olympic tournament now over, teams are gearing up for a return to the NHL regular season. The Predators’ first game is Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks, and today’s recalls give head coach Andrew Brunette two additional forward options to work with when constructing his lineup for that game and the games beyond.
Both Wood and L’Heureux are first-round picks who are among the higher-ranked prospects in the team’s system. L’Heureux was a late first-rounder at the 2021 draft, and has spent all of 2025-26 to date in the AHL, scoring 14 goals and 28 points in 28 games. That’s a departure from last season, when he played just four games in the AHL and 62 in the NHL. This recall will give L’Heureux the chance to potentially make his season debut in Nashville. He plays the kind of gritty, aggressive style that teams often covet in bottom-six forwards, so it will be interesting to see whether L’Heureux will be able to hang onto the NHL opportunity he’s set to receive.
Wood, 21, was a first-rounder at the 2023 draft and is in the midst of his first full season as a pro player. The skilled 6’4″ winger scored three points in his three AHL games played during the break, only failing to land on the scoresheet against a juggernaut Grand Rapids Griffins team.
Wood started the year off very well in the NHL, scoring 10 points in his first 11 games of the season, including his first NHL hat trick. His production has slowed down quite a bit, and he’s sitting on 17 points in 46 games this season. He only managed three points in the month of January as his ice time fell noticeably.
With some good games under his belt during the Olympic break, the hope will be that Wood can rediscover some of the form he flashed earlier in the season, and get his production back on track. Nashville is currently in contention for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, and will need contributions from everyone if it hopes to make a surprising run back to the postseason.
Buffalo Sabres Recall Zach Metsa
The Buffalo Sabres announced this morning that they have recalled defenseman Zach Metsa from their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
Metsa was originally reassigned at the start of the Olympic break. He’s spent a larger portion of this season on the Sabres’ NHL roster. Since Buffalo next plays on Wednesday, the same day the Americans have their next game, Metsa would not get the chance to play in any additional games by remaining on the AHL roster, hence today’s recall.
Today’s recall comes during what has been the most successful campaign of Metsa’s pro career. The 27-year-old is an undrafted player who signed with the Sabres coming out of college, where he captained Quinnipiac University to a national championship in 2022-23. Metsa has developed at a steady pace at the AHL level, going from 24 points in 54 games in his rookie season to 46 points in 69 games as a second-year pro.
This season, Metsa has 15 points in 16 games as his performances earned him a depth role at the NHL level. While he hasn’t yet earned the trust of head coach Lindy Ruff to the point where he’s trusted to play a strong diet of minutes (he averages just 9:42 time on ice per game) he has gotten into 26 NHL games.
If Metsa can continue to earn the trust of Ruff, the Sabres could end up getting real surplus value on Metsa’s contract. The two-year deal he signed in July of last year has an additional season remaining at a $775K NHL salary and $325K total guarantee.
While Metsa isn’t playing very much in the NHL right now, if he can build himself to the point where he’s relied on as a capable third-pairing or even No. 7 defenseman, his league-minimum NHL cap hit should give the Sabres solid cap savings next to what a comparable player might cost on the open market.
When Metsa was sent down on Feb. 6, he was reassigned alongside two young Sabres forwards: Konsta Helenius and Isak Rosén. Neither player has been recalled to this point, but given how well each has played at the AHL level this season, it would be a surprise to see them spend too much time in Rochester in the remaining portion of the season.
Mammoth Recall Scott Perunovich And Kevin Connauton
With Olli Maatta still taking part in the Olympics, the Mammoth have brought up some extra defensive depth for practice. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defensemen Scott Perunovich and Kevin Connauton from AHL Tucson.
Perunovich is in his first season with Utah after signing a one-year, two-way deal with them back in free agency. A veteran of 108 career NHL appearances, he has yet to make one this season as he has played exclusively with the Roadrunners, his first extended AHL run since 2022-23. The 27-year-old has been quite productive in Tucson, notching three goals and 27 assists in 43 games to lead all team blueliners in scoring.
As for Connauton, he has 360 career NHL outings under his belt but none since the 2021-22 campaign. The 35-year-old is in the second and final season of his two-way deal and has suited up in 23 games with the Roadrunners this season where he has two assists. At this point, it seems likely that both he and Perunovich’s time with the big club will be short-lived with Utah’s back end fully healthy coming out of the break.
With the recalls, Utah’s active roster now sits at 22 players, one shy of the maximum. It’s worth noting that the team has moved Maatta and winger Clayton Keller to non-roster status, so it’s possible that another player will be brought up for practice purposes over the next couple of days.
Wild Recall David Spacek
Fresh off playing for Czechia at the Olympics, defenseman David Spacek is getting his next NHL opportunity. The Wild announced that they’ve recalled the blueliner from AHL Iowa.
It’s already the fourth recall of the season for the 23-year-old. However, he didn’t see any action in his first two stints although he was able to make a pair of appearances for Minnesota last month, his first games at the top level. He recorded a pair of blocked shots over a total of 21:30 of playing time.
Spacek, a fifth-round pick back in 2022, has played in 37 games in the minors this season. He has been productive offensively in those outings, picking four goals and 16 assists. His assist total leads all Iowa players while his 20 points pace the way among their defensemen. Spacek also suited up in five games at the Olympics, recording an assist while playing 14:33 per game.
With Spacek’s addition to the roster, Minnesota’s roster now stands at the maximum of 23 players.
Two Prospects Receive 20-Game Suspensions In AHL
A pair of NHL prospects will be waiting quite a while before they can play their next game. Earlier this week, the AHL announced that Rockford goalie Stanislav Berezhnoy and Coachella Valley forward David Goyette have received 20-game suspensions for violating the terms of the AHL/PHPA Performance Enhancing Substance Program. The program essentially replicates the NHL’s penalties for violations, meaning that this is a first-time offence for both players. They will be ineligible for recall to the NHL while serving their bans.
Berezhnoy is in his first season in North America after the Blackhawks signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract last summer. The 22-year-old has played in 15 games so far this season for the IceHogs, largely serving as Drew Commesso’s backup. Berezhnoy has a 5-9-1 record with a 3.18 GAA and a .888 SV% in those outings. He received a brief NHL recall in January when Chicago’s starting tandem was unavailable but didn’t see any game action.
As for Goyette, he’s in the second season of his entry-level deal. Drafted in the second round (61st overall) by the Kraken back in 2022, the 21-year-old was a productive scorer in junior but that has yet to translate to the pros. Goyette had 282 points in three OHL seasons (spanning 197 games) but had 18 points in 54 outings with the Firebirds last season and has just 10 in 47 appearances in 2025-26. He hasn’t seen any NHL action so far in his career.
Both players will be able to return before the playoffs. Berezhnoy is eligible to return on April 11th while Goyette can play one day sooner. At that point, there will be just over a week left in the AHL season and if either team is still fighting for a playoff spot since then, it could be risky to put them in after being off for so long.
Oilers Assign Alec Regula On Conditioning Loan
The Edmonton Oilers announced that defenseman Alec Regula has been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, on a conditioning loan.
The move will allow Regula to get into some games over a maximum of a two-week period. The 25-year-old defenseman has been a frequent healthy scratch, and has not played since Jan. 20. Both Regula and the Oilers are likely hoping to get him into some games as he hasn’t played very much stretching back to last season.
Regula arrived in Edmonton off of waivers from the Boston Bruins in Dec. 2024, but missed all of the 2024-25 campaign with a knee injury.
This season, Regula has gotten into 29 games for the Oilers. He’s scored three points and is averaging 14:28 time on ice per game, including 0:49 per game on the penalty kill. He’s under contract for another season at a two-way rate with a $450K AHL salary, so the Oilers will hope he can build some confidence at the AHL level and translate that to his time on the NHL roster once he’s recalled from his conditioning stint.
AHL Free Agents To Watch For Ahead Of The Trade Deadline
The list of players in an NHL organization doesn’t end with those actively signed. AHL and ECHL affiliates can have players under contract, too, so while they’re playing with an affiliated farm team, their signing rights aren’t directly tied to their NHL parent.
That doesn’t stop NHL clubs from snapping up talent that was initially brought in on minor-league deals, though. It’s common for teams to do at the trade deadline, making them eligible for a recall down the stretch or participate in playoff action if needed. There are a few standout names worth monitoring this season that might be worthy investments for teams to add as options on two-way deals.
Ben Berard, LW (Vancouver Canucks)
At 27, Berard doesn’t have the upside of anyone else here. The 6’0″ winger is in his third pro season after a lengthy run at Cornell. He entered the year with just six points in 34 career AHL games on his resume and spent nearly all of last season in the ECHL.
He’s been one of the better stories on an Abbotsford team that’s had a dreadful follow-up season to last year’s Calder Cup championship, though. On a club that’s scoring just 2.18 goals per game, he’s tied for the team lead in points with 23 in 46 games. There isn’t much of an NHL future for him given his age and development curve, but considering Vancouver might sell off more assets for futures ahead of the deadline and they’re light on capable recall options, a two-way deal might be in the cards to reward his efforts.
Atley Calvert, C (Pittsburgh Penguins)
The 22-year-old Saskatchewan native has no relation to former NHLer Matt Calvert. He’s nonetheless made an impression in the Pens organization in his second professional season. Undrafted, he played his junior hockey for his hometown Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL before signing with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2024.
As a first-year pro on a minor-league deal, few batted an eye when Calvert spent a good chunk of 2024-25 in the ECHL. He was impressive in his AHL call-ups, though, recording 14 points in 26 games. He carried that momentum through to this season, where he’s stuck on WBS’ roster full-time and ranks fourth on the team in scoring with a 9-17–26 line in 48 games. He’s got good size at 6’0″ and 194 lbs. Breaking through a crowded Pens prospect pool for a full-time NHL role is unlikely, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the organization reward one of their depth breakout talents with an NHL commitment.
Philippe Daoust, C (Ottawa Senators)
Daoust will be a familiar name to Sens fans. He was under contract with the club for the last three seasons, signing his entry-level deal after being selected in the sixth round in 2020. He was non-tendered in June, ending his formal NHL relationship with Ottawa, but he chose to stick around in the organization on an AHL-only deal with Belleville.
The 24-year-old center has now exploded for 12 goals and 40 points in 46 games. He’s tied for second on the team in scoring behind Arthur Kaliyev and is top-30 in the AHL in points. That’s a remarkable spike for a player who looked like a non-factor throughout most of his entry-level deal, with injuries limiting him to just 18 combined AHL and ECHL appearances from 2022-24.
Kyle Keyser, G (Colorado Avalanche)
There aren’t many non-NHL contracted goalies who have played more than 10 games in the NHL this season. In fact, there are only two of them.
Keyser, at 11 games, leads the league with a .943 SV% and has an 8-1- 1 record with two shutouts. For an Avs team with largely unproven and young depth options behind their two bona fide NHLers, he’d be a shrewd signing to serve as their emergency backup in the postseason.
The 26-year-old is in his seventh AHL season, most of which were spent in the Bruins organization. He’s got a .907 SV% in 84 career games at the level.
Gabe Klassen, C (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Klassen wasn’t drafted despite being a junior standout with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. His stock was harmed by his draft year coming after the truncated 2020-21 season. After that, though, he was the Winterhawks’ captain for two years and rattled off three straight 30-plus goal seasons, including a 106-point dominant showing in 2023-24.
The undersized pivot caught on with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last year but was buried in the ECHL – a product of being at the bottom of the ladder as a first-year pro on a minor-league deal. He’s avoided any time with ECHL Wheeling this season, though, and is now a regular contributor in the Baby Pens’ top nine. With 12 goals and 22 points in 40 games, he ranks fourth and eighth on the team in those respective categories. His 5’10” frame will be his biggest obstacle to being an NHLer, but it’s clear he produces more with increased opportunities.
Snapshots: Maurice, Morrissey, Davies
Finland wound up in second place in its group at the Olympics and have a chance at a bye before the quarterfinals. However, at one point, it looked like the team could have been led by a different bench boss. Helsingen Sanomat’s Sami Hoffren and Teemu Suvinen report that following a tough showing at the 4 Nations Face-Off and World Championship, a group of NHL veterans made an effort to try to get Panthers head coach Paul Maurice appointed to Finland’s coaching staff for these Olympics. GM Jere Lehtinen acknowledged discussing the idea with the players who wanted the change but nothing further came of it with head coach Antti Pennanen remaining in charge, a role he will hold through the spring of 2027 at a minimum.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey missed Friday’s Olympic game against Switzerland and has already been ruled out for Sunday’s contest against France, relays Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). However, Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper indicated that “by no means is he out for the tournament.” That suggests that the undisclosed injury is at least relatively minor if he’s going to potentially be back within the next week. That would be a big boost for Canada’s back end as well as Winnipeg’s with a busy stretch of games coming up after the break.
- After having his contract with Florida terminated a little more than a week ago, Josh Davies has found a new team. The AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals announced that they’ve signed the forward to a deal for the remainder of the season. Drafted in the sixth round in 2022, Davies has played primarily in the ECHL over his professional career and it appears he was willing to walk away from the rest of his NHL deal to get an opportunity to play at the AHL level for the first time this season.