AHL Notes: Griffith, Pietroniro, Miller
Veteran AHL scorer Seth Griffith signed a two-year AHL contract extension with the Bakersfield Condors, affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. In a statement, Griffith called Bakersfield “a special place to play” and expressed excitement about being able to stay with the club an additional two years. The 33-year-old veteran has served as captain of the Condors for the last two seasons, and has played for the club since the 2020-21 season.
While the financial terms of AHL contracts are not publicly disclosed, one would have to imagine that Griffith’s deal in Bakersfield doesn’t come too cheap. He’s a multi-time AHL All-Star who has twice led the league in assists, as recently as 2024-25. That year, he scored 21 goals and 72 points in 65 games, and this past campaign had 18 goals and 67 points in 71 games. A veteran of 80 NHL games, Griffith hasn’t appeared at the game’s highest level since 2021-22, but remains one of the AHL’s most productive and reliable scorers.
Other notes from the AHL:
- Fresh off of a breakout AHL campaign, defenseman Matteo Pietroniro signed a two-year AHL contract extension with the Syracuse Crunch. It’s been a long road to this point of stability for the 27-year-old defenseman. A former USHL captain, Pietroniro wasn’t able to play U.S. college hockey as the result of since-changed rules preventing CHL players from playing NCAA hockey. Instead of go the USports route, Pietroniro took the unconventional step of signing in the Finnish Liiga after his final USHL campaign. He played 2019-20 for the Lahti Pelicans before spending 2020-21 with HC Bolzano in Italy. He joined the North American pro ranks in 2021-22, beginning in the ECHL before breaking into the AHL on a full-time basis as a reserve defenseman. In 2025-26, Pietroniro took a massive step forward in his career, proving himself as a legitimate top-four AHL defenseman with 31 points in 65 games. His reward for those efforts? A multi-year extension.
- The Crunch also signed right-shot defenseman Tommy Miller to a one-year AHL contract extension. The 27-year-old is the former captain of Michigan State University and was a full-time AHLer for the Toronto Marlies from 2022-23 through 2024-25. Last summer, he signed with Syracuse, who would go on to utilize Miller as a third-pairing defenseman with some penalty-killing time. He only managed 10 points in 55 regular-season games but did add three points in four playoff contests.
Bruins Sign Lukas Reichel To One-Year Extension
The Boston Bruins have awarded a young forward with another chance to prove himself. Lukas Reichel has been signed to a one-year, two-way contract extension with a $950K cap hit at the NHL level. The Bruins acquired Reichel at the Trade Deadline in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.
The acquisition of Reichel marked Boston’s chance to tap into first-round potential that the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks failed to find. Reichel began his time as a Bruin in the minor-leagues – but he earned a quick call-up after scoring five points in his first three games with Providence. Reichel kept it going with two points in his Boston debut, though his hot hand quickly fizzled out after that – with only one assist over his next eight games in the NHL. He appeared in two more games with Boston, and four more with Providence, before the season came to a close. Reichel also played one game of Boston’s first-round loss against the Buffalo Sabres, and three games of Providence’s division semi-final upset at the hands of the Springfield Thunderbirds. He managed no scoring in the postseason.
Reichel was selected 17th-overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Blackhawks. He was coming off his first season in the DEL, Germany’s top league, where he scored 24 points in 42 games. Reichel was also a major piece of Germany’s international rosters, netting five points in seven games at the 2020 World Junior Championship and nine points in 12 additional international friendlies. He repeated those feats in the season after his draft selection – netting 27 points in 38 DEL games and six points in nine games at the 2021 World Championships.
Strong scoring in Germany inspired a quick move to North American pros in 2022-23. Reichel was a near-immediate impact for the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs but failed to find the same spark in the NHL. He finished his rookie season with just one point in 11 NHL games and 57 points in 56 AHL games. Once again, Reichel managed to match those marks as a sophomore, netting 51 points in 55 AHL games and an encouraging 15 points in 23 NHL games.
It seemed the skillful scorer had finally found his footing in the Blackhawks organization. Chicago tested that by deploying him full-time in the NHL during the 2024-25 season. But Reichel failed to command his own line and wound up on Chicago’s third-line, with only 22 points in 70 games on the year. Rather than stick with those struggles, the Blackhawks capitalized on Reichel’s strong start – four points in five games – to last season. He was traded to the Canucks in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick and went on to score just one point in 14 games with Vancouver before being traded again.
Reichel is a skilled winger who showed he can still produce with three points in five games at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He represents a difficult lineup challenge for Boston. If the Bruins can find the right mix of defense and play-driving support, they could tap into major scoring upside. Reichel has yet to find that performance in the NHL but would be an X-factor in the middle-six if he can discover it on his new, one-year deal.
Transaction Notes: Ritchie, Panocha, Dubinsky
Former NHL forward Brett Ritchie has signed a contract for the 2026-27 season with Vlci Zilina, a club in the Slovakian Extraliga. The 32-year-old is a veteran of nearly 400 NHL games, playing in the league from 2014-15 through 2022-23. Ritchie last appeared in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes, arriving there in a mid-season trade from the Calgary Flames. It was in that deal that Ritchie was actually traded for his brother, Nick Ritchie.
Since playing out 2022-23 with the Coyotes, Ritchie has continued his professional career in Europe. As most veteran NHLers who elect to try their hand in Europe do, Ritchie began in one of the continent’s top leagues: the KHL. He signed with Dynamo Minsk, but played in just 14 total games and scored just three points. The following year, he signed in Slovakia, but ended up splitting 2024-25 between that league and the German DEL. This past season, Ritchie began the year in Austria before transferring to Sheffield in the British EIHL, where he scored 12 goals and 22 points in 24 games.
Other notes on player movement from around the hockey world:
- Buffalo Sabres prospect Norwin Panocha has changed clubs, signing with the DEL’s Iserlohn Roosters. The 6’2″ defenseman was a seventh-round pick by Buffalo at the 2023 draft, selected out of Eisbären Berlin’s junior ranks. Panocha spent 2023-24 and 2024-25 split between three North American junior leagues, namely the QMJHL, WHL, and USHL. He split this past season between the DEL with Berlin and second-division DEL2 on loan to Lausitzer Füchse. Per PuckPedia, the Sabres hold the exclusive rights to sign Panocha through June 1 of next year, but it appears unlikely at this stage that he’ll earn an entry-level deal.
- The Laval Rocket announced yesterday that defenseman Aiden Dubinsky has been signed to a one-year AHL contract for next season. Dubinsky was playing on a tryout deal with the Rocket before their season ended at the hands of the Toronto Marlies in the AHL playoffs. The Rocket signed Dubinsky, 22, out of the University of Wisconsin. He skated in 39 games for the Badgers this past season, scoring six points.
Canucks To Promote Ryan Johnson
5/14/26: The Canucks’ promotion of Johnson to the GM position will be announced today, Frank Seravalli of Victory+ reports. CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal added that in today’s announcement, the Sedin twins will be elevated to new roles as co-presidents, presumably of hockey operations.
5/12/26: The Vancouver Canucks are expected to promote Abbotsford Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson sometime in the near future. The anticipation is that the position will be that of either Director of Hockey Operations or General Manager, as reported by Rick Dhaliwal of Cheknews. Dhaliwal also stated that both Daniel and Henrik Sedin will have a big say in the final decision that will be a pivotal one for the Canucks’ front office.
The search itself has been an extensive one, with Canucks ownership and front office interviewing more than 15 candidates before narrowing the field. In recent weeks, the race had reportedly come down to Johnson and Boston Bruins assistant GM Evan Gold, before momentum shifted decisively in Johnson’s favor, and Dhaliwal reported he does not believe Gold remains in the mix.
The search to fill key front office vacancies has been ongoing for the last month following the dismissal of former GM Patrik Allvin. Adding to the shake-up, the team announced last week that President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford will also be stepping down from his role, though he will remain with the organization in an advisory capacity and as an alternate governor.
The changes in Vancouver do not come as a shock following an extremely disappointing 2025-26 season. The Canucks finished the season a staggering 25-49-8 with 58 points, which was last in the NHL by 14 points. Moreover, the Canucks were forced to part with franchise defenseman Quinn Hughes back in December, after he indicated he had no intention of re-signing with the team.
Johnson is no stranger to the NHL or to the Canucks organization. After wrapping up a 701-game playing career in 2011, he found his way back into the game in 2013-14, rejoining his former team of two seasons as a development coach. He climbed the ranks quickly: promoted to Assistant Director of Player Development within two years before being handed the reins of Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, as General Manager in 2017. When the affiliate relocated in 2021, Johnson became the first GM in Abbotsford Canucks history. Two years later, Patrik Allvin promoted him to Assistant General Manager in Vancouver while keeping him on in his role with Abbotsford. Across five seasons as Abbotsford GM, Johnson has compiled a 191-134-31 record and captured a Calder Cup in 2024-25.
With the 2026 NHL Draft Combine just weeks away and Vancouver holding the third overall pick, whoever ends up running hockey operations won’t have much time to settle in. Johnson, if officially named, will inherit a roster in transition, a fan base running thin on patience, and the heavy task of building the Canucks’ first Stanley Cup contender in over a decade.
Golden Knights Recall Braeden Bowman, Mark Stone Remains Out
The Vegas Golden Knights will continue to be without star winger Mark Stone in Tuesday night’s Game 5 against the Anaheim Ducks. Stone will remain out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury that kept him out of Game 4 per Jesse Granger of The Athletic. Stone left Game 3 at the end of the first period. It was not clear where his injury was sustained, though he seemed to be nursing his left leg at the end of his final shift. Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon will also remain out of the lineup with an upper-body injury sustained in Game 6 of Vegas’ first round matchup against the Utah Mammoth.
Veteran winger Brandon Saad filled in for Stone on Sunday. His line – completed by Tomas Hertl and Keegan Kolesar – was outshot four-to-one and on the ice for no goals. That quiet performance, and a Game 4 loss, has prompted Vegas to recall winger Braeden Bowman from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.
Bowman had a surprising breakout this season. He scored at a point-per-game pace through the start of Henderson’s season, prompting the first call-up of his career in mid-November. The undrafted-rookie was an immediate impact, netting seven points in his first eight NHL games and proving he could bring the grit and work ethic needed to earn a lineup role. Bowman stayed up with Vegas’ lineup for 54 games, ultimately scoring eight goals and 26 points. He was returned to Henderson in April and caught fire once again – netting 18 points through the Silver Knights’ final 14 games of the season.
The Golden Knights will struggle to make up for Stone’s absence. The Vegas captain scored 28 goals and 73 points in 60 games this season – a full-season scoring pace of 38 goals and 100 points. He sat out of 17 games between October and November, and an additional five games in March, due to injury. The Golden Knights struggled in his absence, setting a 8-9-5 record and getting outscored 59-to-66. Vegas won’t have any room for those struggles now, as they sit tied at two wins with the Ducks.
Bowman has continued to produce for Henderson in the postseason. He has four points in six games, third-most on the Silver Knights behind Trevor Connelly and Lukas Cormier. If a move between leagues brings another scoring spark, the Golden Knights could find a timely X-factor addition in the young winger. Meanwhile, Ben Hutton will continue to support the defense in Lauzon’s absence. Hutton recorded 15 points, 28 hits, and 55 shot blocks in 55 regular-season games. He won’t match Lauzon’s bruising presence – but should continue to provide serviceable depth in must-win games.
Snapshots: Fedotov, Carlson, Keskinen
Columbus Blue Jackets depth netminder Ivan Fedotov’s days in North America could be winding down, speculated by the Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. The former Flyer spent the entire campaign in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters, making 47 appearances and coming away with a sub-par .887 save percentage.
Most recently, Fedotov has been surpassed by the red-hot Zach Sawchenko, as referenced by Portzline above, who is now getting the bulk of starts and rising to the occasion with a .946 save percentage in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Acquired by the Jackets from Philadelphia in September for a sixth-round pick in this summer’s draft, at the time, the former KHL Goalie of the Year had a chance to take on a real NHL workload with Elvis Merzlikins’ continued struggles a factor. Instead, Jet Greaves won the job, the 25-year-old making 53 starts.
A highly accomplished player with CSKA Moscow, the 6’7” Fedotov would have a laundry list of KHL suitors in his native Russia. Joining the Flyers in March 2024 with a good bit of fanfare, it’s fair to say expectations were not met in his 29 NHL games (all with Philadelphia) and an .874 save percentage. Still, for a seventh round pick (2015), there’s plenty in the tank with an already impressive career highlighted by a KHL championship.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Wearing a uniform which took some time to adjust to, Anaheim’s John Carlson may have a home out west, reported by Chris Johnston of The Athletic. Reportedly, Anaheim has had “exploratory talks” on an extension with the 36-year-old veteran. Currently making $8MM, AFP Analytics projects that the righty could fetch $6.154 with three years of term. The Ducks have plenty of cap space, especially with Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas’ steep deals coming off the books. Carlson is the exact type of player a young team can benefit from having no matter how he ages in the next few years. The longtime Capital is playing heavy minutes in the playoffs, with no signs of slowing down soon.
- Also reported by Portzline, Columbus prospect Oiva Keskinen scored a game winner in the Liiga playoffs over the weekend ending the longest playoff game in league history, just shy of 130 minutes, and four overtimes. It could be a memorable moment before a new chapter, as the Finn is expected to move on to North America next fall, although he’s etched in Tappara’s history forever. A seventh round selection in 2023, the 6’0″ center scored 20 goals in 49 games, good for third on the team. Ending the season on a hot streak with 14 tallies in 26 games, the 22-year-old has the tools to jump into the Columbus lineup before 2027, as another steal from the now-departed general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen.
Canadiens Recall Four Players
The Montreal Canadiens announced today that they have recalled four players from their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket: Forwards Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj, as well as defensemen Adam Engström and David Reinbacher.
The Rocket were eliminated from the Calder Cup Playoffs yesterday, falling in the fifth game of their best-of-five North Division Semifinal against the Toronto Marlies.
These recalls help reinforce the depth of the Canadiens roster as they look to continue their push towards the Eastern Conference Final. Montreal took a 2-1 series lead against the Buffalo Sabres last night, courtesy of a 6-2 win in game three. Game four of the series is Tuesday night in Montreal.
These four players represent some of the best of the Canadiens’ organizational depth, and notably, none of the players recalled are even 23 years old. Beck and Engström were added to the Canadiens organization at the 2022 draft, part of a haul that has already become franchise-changing. Reinbacher was the No. 5 overall pick at the 2023 draft and Xhekaj, who is the younger brother of Canadiens blueliner Arber Xhekaj, was picked in the fourth round that year.
The player that is most immediately NHL-ready is likely Engström, a 22-year-old Swedish defenseman. After he was drafted in 2022, Engström spent two years developing at the professional level in his native Sweden playing for Rögle BK. In 2024, he crossed the Atlantic and made his debut in the Canadiens organization, playing in 66 games for the Laval Rocket.
Engström has had a stellar 2025-26 season, scoring 10 goals and 34 points in 45 games for the Rocket while also earning 15 NHL games with the Canadiens. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic rated Engström as the No. 6 prospect in Montreal’s system, calling him someone who “could become a No. 5-6” defenseman “with some modern elements” to his game.
The Canadiens’ defense already skews to left-shot blueliners, which means he faces stiffer competition in his efforts to land a full-time role in Montreal. That’s not the case for Reinbacher, the team’s No. 4 prospect according to Wheeler. Reinbacher is a big right-shot defenseman who plays a composed, steady game. Persistent injury issues have slowed the pace of his development, putting him behind some of his peers from the 2023 draft class. But he had a strong season playing in all situations in Laval and should be a real contender for an NHL role next fall.
Beck, 22, is Montreal’s No. 7 prospect according to Wheeler and is, like the two defensemen, on the cusp of making the leap to the NHL on a more permanent basis.
A hard-working two-way center, Beck scored 15 goals and 44 points in 64 games as an AHL rookie last season, and scored 13 goals and 33 points in 58 games this year.
He also added five points in five playoff games this season. Beck already has 28 NHL games under his belt and could push for a bottom-six role in training camp.
The fourth player recalled was Xhekaj, a forward who is one of Montreal’s faster-rising prospects. He was picked in the fourth round despite scoring just 25 points in his draft campaign in the OHL. But the Canadiens saw something in the forward that gave them the confidence to draft him in that round despite relatively low offensive numbers. Co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov called Xhekaj a “unicorn” during the team’s pre-draft process.
Since being selected, all Xhekaj has done is reward the team’s faith in him. He became a point-per-game OHL scorer and had a strong rookie pro campaign with the Rocket in 2024-25, scoring 24 goals and 35 points. He also added 175 penalty minutes. This past year, Xhekaj scored 17 goals and 29 points, racking up 182 penalty minutes. His blend of size, physicality, and goal-scoring ability gives him a chance to become a well-liked bottom-six forward in the NHL.
All four skaters recalled today by the Canadiens are players who could very well play a role in the NHL next season. They represent the next wave of youthful NHL reinforcements the Canadiens are set to receive, fruits of a rebuild that already appears to be paying off. While none is particularly likely to draw into the lineup during this run, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some – or all – of these faces in the NHL at this time next year.
Photos courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Avalanche Reassign Jack Ahcan, Josh Manson Remains Out
5/9: Despite being a full participant in morning practice, Manson did not suit up for Saturday night’s Game 3 against the Minnesota Wild, per Baugh. His absence will keep Sam Malinski on the second-pair and Nick Blankenburg in the lineup, while Manson will now aim for a return in Game 4 on Monday.
5/8: An important piece of the Colorado Avalanche lineup could be back in the near future. The team reassigned defenseman Jack Ahcan in anticipation for Josh Manson‘s return from an upper-body injury sustained in Game 3 of the first round per Peter Baugh of The Athletic. The Avalanche “feel good” about Manson’s chances of returning on Saturday, head coach Jared Bednar told Baugh.
Manson has operated as Colorado’s second-pair right-defenseman behind Cale Makar. His physical, two-way presence was a gut punch behind Colorado’s top pair all season long. Manson marked that impact with 31 points in 79 games, the most he’s scored since the 2017-18 season. He also recorded 99 shot blocks and 174 hits, both ranked second on the team. Manson added two assists, one block, and 10 hits through the first two-and-a-half games of Colorado’s playoff run, before running into injury after just five minutes of ice time.
Ahcan will return to the Colorado Eagles’ run in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He has played in three of the team’s playoff games so far, with no scoring or penalties. Ahcan racked up a career-high 50 points in 61 games with the Eagles this season. He has posted a new scoring peak in each of his three seasons with the Eagles, after beginning his career in the Boston Bruins organization. He will step back into an important, top-four role on an Eagles team already pacing the AHL postseason. The Eagles have won four of their five games and boast a playoff-best +12 goal-differential.
Topi Niemela Signs With IF Bjorkloven
Defenseman Topi Niemela will continue his career in Sweden. The 24 year old has signed with IF Bjorkloven who recently earned promotion to the SHL. Niemela moved to Sweden on a one-year deal with the Malmo Redhawks last summer. The deal marked a return to Europe for the former top Finnish defense prospect. Niemela’s NHL rights are held by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Niemela scored four goals and 18 points in 52 games with Malmo. He ranked second on the team’s blue-line in scoring – 21 points behind former New York Islanders prospect Robin Salo in the lead. Niemela fell short of his AHL scoring in his move overseas. He had a promising break into the Toronto Marlies roster in 2023-24, finishing the year with 39 points in 68 games and a solid lineup role. He hit a dip in his attempts to follow it up, scoring just 22 points in 61 games of the 2024-25 season.
After failing to find an offensive boost in the SHL, Niemela will test his talents in a bigger role with Bjorkloven. He shined as an effective puck-mover through a four-season stint in Finland’s Liiga, prior to his first AHL season. Niemela reached 32 points in 48 games of the 2021-22 season, two years after Toronto landed him with the 64th-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He fell back to 18 points in 58 games of the 2022-23 season, preluding a move to the Marlies lineup. Niemela would need a big performance to pop back up on the Maple Leafs’ radar, though a strong year in the SHL could be a promising start.
Avalanche Assign Ilya Nabokov To AHL
The Colorado Avalanche’s minor-leaague affiliate has received a boost in the midst of their race for the AHL’s Calder Cup. Goaltender Ilya Nabokov has been reassigned to the Colorado Eagles following the end of his season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL’s Gagarin Cup Playoffs semi-finals.
Nabokov spent the season on loan to Metallurg from the Avalanche. He once again filled a starter role in Russia, though this season brought dimmer results than his first two years in the KHL. Nabokov set a 22-7-5 record and a .901 save percentage in 38 games this season and dressed for an additional 21 games as backup. His record shined more than in year’s past, though this was Nabokov’s first KHL season without a save percentage north of .920. He recorded 23 wins in each of the last two seasons, to go with a .930 save percentage in 43 games and a .923 save percentage in 49 games respectively.
The first of those two seasons marked a true breakout for Nabokov. He rocketed up from the Metallurg’s junior roster to their KHL starting role and finished the regular season tied for the sixth-highest save percentage in the league. Not to be outdone, Nabokov then pushed Metallurg – a perennial Gagarin Cup contender – to a championship win with 16 wins and a .942 save percentage in 23 playoff games. That performance shined on NHL draft radars, ultimately earning Nabokov a top-40 selection despite 2024 being his second year of draft-eligibility.
The Eagles have been valiantly led by Trent Miner in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Miner has three shutouts, four wins, and a playoff-best .960 save percentage while playing in all five of the team’s games. He will continue to hold onto Colorado’s starting role, while Nabokov will challenge Isak Posch and Kyle Keyser for the backup chair. Miner would have to decline quickly to make way for Nabokov’s AHL debut, though his move to the Calder Cup Playoffs could be a good sign of his chance at securing a minor-league role next season. Nabokov could also see a recall to the NHL to serve as a third-string goaltender and get reps in with goalie coach Jussi Parkkila per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette.