Red Wings Assign Anton Johansson To AHL
The Detroit Red Wings shared that prospect Anton Johansson has been assigned to AHL Grand Rapids, coming from Leksands of the SHL.
A fourth round selection in 2022, the 6’4″ defenseman made a nice impression last spring in 11 games during his tryout with the Griffins, recording five points. Sent back to his native Sweden for 2025-26, the righty was a bright spot as a key youngster for Leksands this year, posting 17 points and 49 penalty minutes in 42 contests, a solid step forward from the year prior.
Inking his entry level contract last year, the 21-year-old is not thought to be among the team’s highest ranked farmhands in a deep pool. However, he brings size, physical edge, and enough puck moving skills to be a continued riser as a great find at 105th overall. Considering that their third pairing and overall defensive depth has been a sore spot at times, Johansson is coming in with a real path forward into becoming a Red Wings mainstay.
Joining an elite AHL team for their stretch run as he makes the full time transition to North America, Johansson will be in a favorable situation in Grand Rapids. Losing Justin Holl to St. Louis in the Justin Faulk trade, the Griffins benefit from adding a physical youngster who has plenty of professional experience from Sweden, as well as prior time spent with the team. Johansson will also get to learn under fellow countrymen in veterans Erik Gustafsson and William Lagesson.
In all likelihood, Johansson won’t debut rocking the Winged Wheel for some time, but fans will eagerly watch his continued development in Grand Rapids next season as an ascending prospect. Detroit is facing the possible disappointment of missing the postseason again, but even if such is the case, their top prospect pool offers much to be excited about, especially as it aligns with the current roster’s needs.
Kraken Reassign Logan Morrison
3/29: Morrison has been re-assigned to AHL Coachella Valley, the team announced this morning. The forward was scratched in both games on the big club, as McCann returned last night. Seattle will be back at it Tuesday in Edmonton in dire need of points in an attempt to sneak into Wild Card berth. Meanwhile, the 12th ranked Firebirds will be pleased to have their leading scorer back.
3/27: The Seattle Kraken have recalled forward Logan Morrison from the AHL under emergency conditions. He will help Seattle address a slew of injuries, including to Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann, and Ryan Winterton.
Morrison played in his NHL debut on March 26, 2024 – nearly two years ago to the day. He totaled four NHL appearances that season and recorded no scoring, no penalties, and a minus-one. Morrison has been with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds ever since. He carved out a top role on the Firebirds with back-to-back 40-point seasons over the last two years. With that footing, Morrison has taken off this year. He leads Coachella Valley in goals (27) and points (56) through 61 games. He has added 40 penalty minutes and a plus-22, also career-highs for the young professional.
The 23-year-old winger could be set to play in his fifth NHL game as the Kraken seek out a right-winger to fill out their depth chart. Seattle has operated with 11 forwards and seven defenseman recently, creating room for Cale Fleury to play in four games this month. He has one point and a minus-one in those appearances, bringing his season totals up to three points in 21 games. With that quiet stretch, and a 1-4-0 record in their last five games, Seattle could look back towards a traditional lineup structure to provide a spark.
Chicago Blackhawks Recall Kevin Korchinski
The Chicago Blackhawks have announced the recall of defenseman Kevin Korchinski from their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
The move returns the 2022 No. 7 overall pick to the NHL roster for the second time this month. Korchinski last played for the Blackhawks on March 1, was a healthy scratch March 3, and was sent down March 5.
The 21-year-old joins a Blackhawks roster that, before this recall, boasted just six healthy defensemen. Veteran Matt Grzelcyk has been sidelined since March 22 with an upper-body injury. He was ruled out for Chicago’s four-game road trip, a stretch that concludes tonight in Newark. Grzelcyk’s status beyond the road trip was not announced, but this transaction indicates the veteran could miss additional time.
Korchinski has had an up-and-down tenure in the Blackhawks organization since he was drafted in 2022, with the first top-10 pick of Chicago’s rebuild.
His ineligibility for the AHL due to a late June birthday led to Korchinski playing his entire rookie pro campaign in the NHL, averaging 19:36 time on ice per game, including 1:47 per game on the power play, in 2023-24. While he showed some flashes of the talent that made him such a high draft pick, his rookie year was undoubtedly a struggle.
Since that point, Korchinski has spent most of his time in the AHL, playing as a top defenseman for the IceHogs. Korchinski has been a top-pairing, all-situations player in Rockford this season, playing a heavy workload and on both sides of special teams. He’s scored 26 points in 53 games this season, and had 27 points in 56 games last season.
While he remains a quality prospect, some of his shine has faded as he’s been unable to secure a full-time NHL role with the Blackhawks, a team that has not been overflowing with veteran talent on the left side of its defense over the last few years. In 2023, he ranked as the No. 31 skater prospect across the NHL, according to Elite Prospects. By 2025, he ranked No. 83. Just a few days ago, the outlet released its newest rankings, and Korchinski was no longer in the top-100, settling in as an honorable mention.
With that said, although Korchinski’s stock has trended down since turning pro, that’s not to say he doesn’t still have a promising NHL future.
While third-party observers have lowered their projections for Korchinski as he’s remained in the AHL, the Blackhawks have a different view of his development. Assistant GM Mark Eaton told The Athletic’s Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus in January that he doesn’t believe “there’s any fear of [Korchinski] being in Rockford too long,” adding that he believes “the fear is him coming up too soon.” Eaton expressed confidence in Korchinski’s developmental direction, saying “he’s finally in a spot where he’s building that foundation to the player that he’s going to be at the NHL level.”
The Blackhawks aren’t playing for a playoff spot in what remains of the 2025-26 season, so player development is the key priority in the games that remain on schedule. Recalling Korchinski gives one of the team’s top prospects a chance to showcase his progress at the game’s highest level.
Set to be an RFA this upcoming summer, Korchinski is entering a stretch of games with significant individual stakes, even if the stakes for the team in the standings are minimal. The upcoming slate of NHL games Korchinski is set to dress for could go a long way in determining how comfortable the Blackhawks feel in penciling him into their NHL roster for 2026-27.
Photos courtesy of Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Rangers Assign Juuso Parssinen To AHL
With center Noah Laba nearing a return to the lineup, the Rangers have made a roster move. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned center Juuso Parssinen to AHL Hartford.
After showing some promise down the stretch in New York last season where he had five points in 11 games, the Rangers signed him to a two-year, $2.5MM pact with the hopes that he could emerge as a capable contributor in the bottom six. However, that hasn’t exactly been the case. He has just two goals and one assist in 20 contests this season and cleared waivers back in November. Parssinen only has a few days left in his waiver exemption and since he hasn’t played much lately – just once in the last two weeks – it makes sense for him to be playing back in Hartford over sitting in the press box in New York.
Parssinen has been more productive with the Wolf Pack, albeit in limited action. Despite spending more than three months in Hartford, injuries limited him to just 11 games although he has five goals and an assist in those appearances. Hartford enters play today six points out of the sixth and final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division and he should be a key piece for them as they try to get back into the postseason picture.
Penguins Recall Rutger McGroarty, Assign Two To AHL
As the Penguins continue their battle for a playoff spot, they’ve made a trio of roster moves. The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Rutger McGroarty has been recalled from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. In corresponding moves, winger Avery Hayes and center Joona Koppanen were both sent back down after being brought up on Thursday.
It’s the third recall of the season for McGroarty. He played in 20 games between his first two stints with the big club, collecting two goals and three assists in a little under 12 minutes per night of ice time. The 21-year-old also had three points in eight contests last season. Meanwhile, in the minors, McGroarty has been quite productive, checking in at just over a point per game with seven goals and 19 assists in 25 appearances to earn this promotion.
Hayes, meanwhile, made quite the first impression in his NHL debut last month when he scored twice against Buffalo. However, he has been held off the scoresheet since then over several different stints with Pittsburgh and has only played more than 10 minutes once in the last five games so a chance to go back to a top-six scoring role might be best right now. The 23-year-old has 20 goals in just 38 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, while tacking on a dozen assists as well.
As for Koppanen, he got into ten games with Pittsburgh over the first two months of the season (where he picked up one assist) but has yet to play at the top level since then. He’s producing at a reasonable clip in the minors with seven goals and 12 assists through 37 games, the second-best point-per-game rate of his career.
Meanwhile, the team also announced (Twitter link) that they’ll be without two key veterans today against Dallas. Sidney Crosby left Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day while Evgeni Malkin’s upper-body injury that he sustained last weekend will keep him out again; he’s also day-to-day. Crosby has 28 goals and 36 assists through 61 games this season, keeping his career-long point-per-game streak intact. Meanwhile, Malkin is also over the point-per-game mark for the first time since 2022-23 with 15 goals and 37 assists through 50 appearances.
Flames Recall Brennan Othmann
The Flames will be getting a look at one of their newest prospects for the stretch run. The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Brennan Othmann has been recalled from AHL Calgary.
The 23-year-old was a first-round pick by the Rangers back in 2023 but hasn’t had much success at the NHL level so far. Heading into the season, he had just two assists in 25 career games, leading to some speculation that a change of scenery could be coming. Othmann then bounced back and forth between New York and AHL Hartford throughout the first two-thirds of the campaign. He got into 17 more games with the big club but managed just one point, his first NHL goal, along with 40 hits.
At the trade deadline, Othmann indeed received his change of scenery, getting sent to Calgary in exchange for junior prospect winger Jacob Battaglia. But rather than bring him up right away, the Flames elected to have Othmann start with the Wranglers. He has five assists in ten games with them, bringing his season totals to eight goals and 13 helpers in 36 contests when adding in his time with Hartford.
Calgary already had 12 healthy forwards on its roster, meaning this does not qualify as an emergency recall and thus counts against their post-deadline limit of five. Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg adds (Twitter link) that the Flames have now used three of those.
Atlantic Notes: Greenway, Bennett, Djurasevic
Sabres winger Jordan Greenway has resumed skating as he works his way back from an abdominal injury that has kept him out for the last 23 games, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. His latest rehab has been much more successful than previous ones over the past couple of seasons which has him optimistic that he can be much more of a contributor heading into the playoffs. When healthy this season, Greenway has been limited to just one goal and four assists in 33 games but when he’s at full strength, his track record demonstrates that he can be more of a two-way threat than just a penalty killer. It stands to reason that Buffalo will still be careful with him when he gets the green light from team doctors but Greenway could be a useful addition for the Sabres down the stretch.
More from the Atlantic:
- The ever-growing absence list in Florida just got longer. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told reporters today including Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News (Twitter link) that center Sam Bennett won’t play tonight against the Islanders. He’s dealing with an undisclosed issue although Maurice added that it’s not concerning. Bennett has had a career year offensively, recording 25 goals and 29 assists in 70 games this season, with a career-best ATOI of 18:29 as well. His absence justifies the recent promotion of Jack Studnicka, who was recalled earlier today.
- The Maple Leafs have dipped into college free agency again. This time, their AHL affiliate announced that they’ve signed defenseman Frank Djurasevic to a two-year deal beginning next season. The blueliner will still join the Marlies now, just on a tryout agreement. Djurasevic had one year of eligibility remaining but instead will turn pro now. This season, the 24-year-old saw his production get cut in half at the University of Maine. In 2024-25, Djurasevic had 28 points in 37 games but he was limited to just 14 in 34 contests this season.
Wild Assign Hunter Haight To AHL
The Wild made a roster move on their off day, announcing that center Hunter Haight has been sent back to AHL Iowa. He was on a regular recall – Minnesota’s first – meaning that they have four non-emergency promotions remaining this season.
The 21-year-old has been shuffled back and forth quite frequently this season, six times, in fact. For all those promotions, Haight hasn’t seen a lot of NHL action. He got into two games with Minnesota on this most recent stint where he picked up his first assist and point of the season against Chicago. Overall, he has suited up in seven games with the big club and is averaging just under 10 minutes a night of playing time.
Haight has been considerably more productive with Iowa, however. Through 43 games with them, he has 12 goals and 11 assists, good for sixth on the team in scoring. He has one season remaining on his entry-level contract after this one.
When Haight was brought up a week and a half ago, Minnesota was dealing with some injuries. However, Bobby Brink and Joel Eriksson Ek (injured at the time) have since returned to the lineup, giving them 15 healthy forwards at the moment. With that in mind, it makes much more sense to have Haight playing back in Iowa over sitting in the press box in Minnesota.
Jets Recall Parker Ford, Danil Zhilkin
The Winnipeg Jets have recalled forwards Parker Ford and Danil Zhilkin under emergency conditions. The duo will help Winnipeg fill in for injuries to Vladislav Namestnikov, Nino Niederreiter, and Morgan Barron.
Zhilkin, 22, played through the first four games of his NHL career on a brief call-up in January. He managed no scoring, no penalties, and a plus-two in those appearances, while only playing more than 10 minutes in one game. He has planted his feet as a top center for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in the months since, even despite scoring only 22 points in 54 games this season. He had a brief hot streak – five points in five games – in late December, leading up to his first NHL recall, but has otherwise struggled to post consecutive games with points for much of the year.
Ford has played through a fairly similar season. The 25-year-old winger began the season as an extra forward on Winnipeg’s roster. He appeared in 11 NHL games between October and November but only posted one point, four penalty minutes, and a minus-two. Ford was assigned to the AHL in November and has since recorded 21 points in 45 games with Manitoba. He has offered a responsible game around a young Moose lineup, helping to create space for Jets prospects Brayden Yager, Brad Lambert, and Zhilkin. Ford also appeared in three NHL games, and scored one point, last season.
The pair of call-ups will help Winnipeg stock the lineup as they prepare for a four-game road trip. Winnipeg now carries Zhilkin, Lambert, Isak Rosen, Ville Heinola, and Elias Salomonsson on the NHL roster. With the postseason well out of sight, they’ll embrace a chance to test out prospects with 10 games left on the schedule.
Sharks Recall Laurent Brossoit
The San Jose Sharks have recalled depth goaltender Laurent Brossoit from the AHL. He will help shore up the depth chart after starter Yaroslav Askarov was injured in the second period of Thursday’s game against the St. Louis Blues per Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News Group. Askarov was injured after Blues winger Nathan Walker was knocked into the crease by Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais. The Sharks haven’t yet designated the nature of Askarov’s injury.
Thursday marked Askarov’s return from a previous injury that held him out of 16 days and seven games. He has served as San Jose’s go-to goaltender when healthy. Playing through his first season in a full-time NHL role, Askarov has recorded 19 wins, an .887 save percentage, and a 3.52 goals-against-average through 41 games.
Brossoit made his own return from injury in early December. He played his first games of the season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, after missing the entirety of the 2024-25 season with multiple lower-body injuries. The Sharks traded for Brossoit in early January. He quickly took over the starting role for the San Jose Barracuda, where he has posted an impressive 11 wins and .915 save percentage in 15 appearances. On the long haul back from injury, the former William M. Jennings Trophy-winner received his first call up to the Sharks roster on March 13th. He played in his first NHL game since April, 2024 two days later and allowed six goals on 23 shots in a 4-7 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
Brossoit moved to the backup role for the remainder of Askarov’s absence, then returned to the AHL with a 31-save performance on Wednesday. Now, another injury to Askarov will pull Brossoit back into the NHL, where he’ll continue to backup Alex Nedeljkovic. It is unclear if he’ll have a chance at returning to the starter’s crease, though another NHL appearance will mean a chance to get back on track after a rough return to the league.