Penguins Assign Five To AHL
Wednesday: The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned McGroarty, Koivunen, and Koppanen, along with wingers Avery Hayes and Rafael Harvey-Pinard, back to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. All five got into at least one game in recent days.
Saturday: With the Penguins now having secured a playoff spot, they’re electing to get some players with nagging injuries some rest. That means that several players needed to be recalled to have a full roster available for their game today against Washington. Those promotions have been made as the team announced (Twitter link) that forwards Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, and Joona Koppanen have been recalled on an emergency basis from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. With the emergency designation, none of them will count toward their post-deadline recall limit of five.
McGroarty is up with Pittsburgh for the fourth time this season. He has suited up in 21 games so far in a bottom-six role, picking up two goals and three assists while averaging 11:46 per night. The 2022 first-round pick has been much more productive in the minors, however, with eight goals and 22 assists in 28 games. With many key players out of the lineup today, McGroarty should have a chance to play in more of an offensive role than he has had most nights with Pittsburgh this season.
Koivunen, meanwhile, is also up for his fourth stint of the season. But unlike McGroarty, he has spent more time with Pittsburgh than in the minors. In 36 games at the top level, the 22-year-old has two goals and five assists while averaging 12:29 per night. Unsurprisingly, he has been a much better producer in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, tallying 11 goals and 25 assists in 32 appearances.
As for Koppanen, he’s also getting his fourth promotion of the year. While he hasn’t played a lot with Pittsburgh, he has had to clear waivers twice already this season. In 10 NHL outings, the 28-year-old has just one assist. In the minors, he has fared better, picking up eight goals and 15 assists in 42 contests. A pending unrestricted free agent, a report surfaced last month that suggested he’s likely to sign in Sweden for next season.
For their game today, the team announced (Twitter link) that numerous players are unavailable due to day-to-day injuries. Those include forwards Sidney Crosby (lower body), Benjamin Kindel (upper body), Evgeni Malkin (upper body), and Bryan Rust (lower body). On the back end, Erik Karlsson (lower body), Kris Letang (upper body), and Parker Wotherspoon (upper body) are all sidelined. Additionally, center Connor Dewar is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury of his own, putting his availability to start the playoffs in jeopardy.
Evening Notes: Canucks, Ducks, Psenicka
The Vancouver Canucks will need to reconsider much of their roster after a last-place finish this season. Winger Evander Kane and defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph are not expected to be a part of the plans moving forward per Thomas Drance of The Athletic. Both players will enter unrestricted free agency on July 1st.
Kane played a full season after missing the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign. He recorded 13 goals, 31 points, and 92 penalty minutes in 71 games. He proved capable of filling an every-night role in the NHL but still underperformed his $5.125MM cap hit. The silver lining of Kane’s season was the 1,000th game of his NHL career, played on March 30th. He has 339 goals and 648 points in 1,001 career NHL games.
Joseph has fought to move out of an extra defender role for much of the last three seasons. He recorded six points and a minus-16 in 31 games this season. That is a slight boost from three points and a minus-23 in 47 games, split between the St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins, last season. He will eye a cheap contract, and promise of NHL minutes, should he hit free agency this summer.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- The Anaheim Ducks have signed San Diego Gulls head coach Matt McIlvane to a multi-year extension per Patrick Present of The Hockey News. McIlvane posted his best record in three years as San Diego’s head coach with a 33-24-12 finish this season. That performance has pushed the Gulls into their first Calder Cup Playoff appearance since 2022. McIlvane, an Illinois native, coached five seasons with EHC Salzburg, in Austria’s IceHL, before being hired by San Diego in 2023. He led the team to two IceHL championships. He also won three DEL championships as an assistant coach with EHC Munchen from 2014 to 2019. That role also earned McIlvane an assistant coach role on Germany’s Men’s Hockey team at the 2018 Winter Olympics. He helped lead the country to a Silver medal finish, their first men’s hockey medal in modern Olympic history.
- Utah Mammoth defense prospect Max Psenicka has signed an amateur try-out contract with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. Psenicka is coming off his second season with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. He recorded eight goals, 30 points, and 67 penalty minutes in 53 games – and no scoring and a minus-10 in four playoff games. He brings some pro experience to the AHL level, having played 16 games and scored two goals in Czechia’s Extraliga at the start of last season. Psenicka should bring an impactful, defensive presence to Tucson’s lineup as they approach the final three games of their season.
Avalanche Assign Jack Ahcan To AHL
Wednesday: The Avalanche announced that Ahcan has been sent back to the Eagles. He played in two games while on recall, playing just shy of 24 minutes between the two games.
Sunday: The Colorado Avalanche announced today that defenseman Jack Ahcan has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
Veteran defenseman Josh Manson left last night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights with an upper-body injury. His injury left the Avalanche with just five healthy defensemen on their NHL roster, as Cale Makar has been sidelined with an injury of his own. This recall brings the number of healthy blueliners the Avalanche have at their disposal to six.
Ahcan, 28, has already played in nine NHL games this season. He’s been one of the top offensive defensemen in the AHL this season. His 50 points in 60 games for the Eagles places him second in scoring by defensemen in the AHL, behind only Rochester Americans blueliner Zac Jones.
As a 5’8″ left-shot defenseman, he’s far from a one-to-one replacement for Manson, a 6’4″ right-shot blueliner. If they wanted to recall someone more stylistically similar to Manson, they could have recalled 6’3″ right-shot defenseman Ronnie Attard, who has played in 29 career NHL games.
Attard hasn’t played in the NHL since 2023-24 though. More importantly, the Avalanche don’t actually have a pressing need to recall someone that is a direct stylistic comparable to Manson. The Avalanche acquired blueliner Nick Blankenburg from the Nashville Predators at the deadline, a move that was designed to protect the team’s defensive depth in advance of what it hopes will be a long playoff run.
So far, the move has done exactly that: provided the Avalanche with an increased measure of flexibility in the face of injuries on its blueline. Yesterday, they played Blankenburg, who is a right shot, on the left side. Blankenburg has experience playing on both sides, a factor the team no doubt considered when they decided to acquire him.
Even still, the Avalanche have only two healthy lefties in their lineup at this point. By recalling Ahcan, the Avalanche can now shift Blankenburg back to his natural right side, and easily plug Ahcan onto the left side of one of their pairings.
At this stage, there is no word on the extent of Manson’s injury. Colorado has just three games remaining on their regular season schedule, and have already locked up the Presidents’ Trophy. The team has every reason to be patient with Manson’s recovery and has zero reason to rush him back into their lineup. As a result, it appears entirely possible Ahcan could get into these three final games of the season as a result of this recall, which would be a very positive development for him, as he’s just a few months from needing a new contract as an unrestricted free agent.
Islanders Assign Victor Eklund, Calum Ritchie, Isaiah George, Liam Foudy To AHL
The New York Islanders have loaded up their AHL affiliate with the Stanley Cup Playoffs out of sight. Forwards Victor Eklund , Liam Foudy, and Calum Ritchie, and defensemen Isaiah George have all been assigned to the minor-leagues with the Islanders’ season now over. Eklund made his NHL debut in New York’s season finale. He recorded one assist. Ritchie has spent nearly the full season in the NHL, while Foudy and George spent most of their years in the minors.
Ritchie and Eklund could be X-factor additions for the Bridgeport Islanders’ playoff run. Eklund made his AHL debut in late-March, following the end of his season in Sweden. He has been an immediate impact with nine points in his first seven AHL games. It has been a boom in scoring after Eklund notched six goals and 24 points in 43 games of the SHL regular season and three points in three playoff games. He was a difference-maker for Djugardens in their promotion from the HockeyAllsvenskan last season and finished the 2024-25 season with 31 points in 42 games.
Ritchie began the year in the minors but earned a call-up after just three games, and three points, with Bridgeport. He carved out a middle-six role for much of his rookie season and finished the year with 30 points in 65 games. Ritchie is only one season removed from a 70-point season in the OHL. He was mostly a center at the junior level but played right-wing in his first NHL season. Whether Bridgeport prioritizes Ritchie’s development as a center, or comfort as a pro winger, could add an interesting wrinkle to their playoff push. New York head coach Peter DeBoer said he sees Ritchie as a center moving forward per NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner.
Foudy finished the AHL season second on Bridgeport in goals (25) and points (46). That finish is one point more than he scored in 70 games last year, his first season with Bridgeport. He has rotated between the NHL and AHL level since turning pro in 2020. Foudy’s only full season in the NHL came with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022-23. He finished that season with 14 points in 62 games.
George will also have a role carved out for him in the minors. He scored 17 points and a plus-10 in 45 games with Bridgeport this season, in addition to one point and a plus-one in four NHL games. George split last season between the major and minor leagues. He finished the year with five points in 33 NHL games and 14 points in 33 AHL games.
Blue Jackets Sign Joshua Eernisse To One-Year, Entry-Level Contract
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed college free agent Joshua Eernisse to a one-year, entry-level contract set to begin in the 2026-27 season. The University of Michigan winger will finish the 2025-26 season on a professional try-out contract with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.
Eernisse’s senior season in college hockey came to a close with Michigan’s double-overtime loss to the University of Denver in the Frozen Four. He scored one of Michigan’s three goals in the semifinal matchup and totaled 25:48 in ice time, the third-most on Michigan’s offense. Eernisse filled a reliable role for the Wolverines all season long. His high-energy motor and ability to play through contact was invaluable to a Michigan team built around young, skilled forwards.
Eernisse’s quick passing and drive towards the net helped him rack up 19 points in 38 games, the most he’s scored in three years with the Wolverines. He did reach 21 points in 36 games of his freshman season at the University of St. Thomas. That production was an exciting spark after two quiet seasons in the USHL and earned Eernisse a transfer to the Big Ten. There, his 6-foot-3 and 210-pound frame helped cement a checking role in the Wolverines’ middle-six. Eernisse will lean on his ability to stand up to puck battles and win space in the slot as he transitions to the pro flight.
The Cleveland Monsters have clinched a spot in the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs. Much of their success has come from a fortified top-six, where Mikael Pyyhtia, Luca Pinelli, and Owen Sillinger have clawed out spots as three of Cleveland’s top-five scorers. Their standing could push Eernisse into a third-line role as he sets up for his pro debut. He will likely step in for hard-nosed winger Tate Singleton, who graduated from Michigan’s rival Ohio State University in 2023. Singleton has 11 points and 54 penalty minutes in 39 AHL games, and 10 points in 10 ECHL games, this season. Eernisse could top Singleton’s scoring and physicality – a potential X-factor addition as the Monsters eye their first championship since 2016.
Wild Recall Hunter Haight, Matt Kiersted
The Minnesota Wild recalled Hunter Haight and Matt Kiersted from AHL Iowa, announced today. With their first round playoff opponent set (Dallas) the club has summoned reinforcements for their final two regular season games; tomorrow at St. Louis and Tuesday against Anaheim.
Both Haight and Kiersted have contributed as depth already this season, and despite being key players for the farm club, Iowa is ranked 29th in the AHL and therefore doesn’t have the highest stakes after what has been another forgettable season.
Haight, 22, is a noteworthy prospect of Minnesota. Selected 47th overall in 2022, the center jumped into the AHL last season as an immediate contributor, posting 34 points in 67 games. He followed that up with more progression, nearly matching the same output in 16 fewer contests. The efforts got him his NHL debut in October, followed by brief stints both in the winter, and the spring, as recently as last month.
The rookie recorded his first NHL point in March, an assist. His usage remains limited, just one tick below 10:00 across the seven total games. An AHL All Star this season, the Ontario native has high puck skill for a projected top nine forward at the NHL level. As expected, he’s often been sheltered starting nearly 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone, but such will change should he develop into a trustworthy two-way center.
On the other hand, Kiersted is an AHL veteran at age 27. In his first season with the Wild organization, the Minnesota native spent most of the year in Iowa, outside of four games with the big club. Usually more offensively capable, with a 29-point campaign last year with the Charlotte Checkers, Kiersted had just 12 points in 49 games with Iowa.
Having 43 NHL games under his belt, 39 of which come from his time in Florida, the lefty is a dependable call-up to fill in on the blue line. In his last NHL contest, January 5 at Los Angeles, Kiersted played just 8:31 but he’ll figure to see more action in the coming days.
With the likes of Joel Eriksson Ek, Mats Zuccarello, and Jared Spurgeon all day-to-day, and the chance to rest more stars such as Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes, the duo will have plenty of opportunity tomorrow night.
Senators Recall Hayden Hodgson
The Ottawa Senators have called up Hayden Hodgson from AHL Belleville, in a team announcement earlier today. Having locked up a spot in the postseason, currently slated for a first round match-up against Buffalo, the forward is a perfect spot-starter on the fourth line before what could be an exciting series against two franchises craving a run.
Brady Tkachuk was shaken up yesterday against the Islanders, not returning after catching a stick in the neck area in a weird sequence. Considering what’s in store, there’s no reason to rush their captain back for an inconsequential contest in Newark tonight, and Hodgson is a beneficiary.
The 30-year-old had to play the long game to this point. Undrafted out of the OHL, he was scarcely on anyone’s radar after bouncing around various ECHL clubs from 2017-2021 as well as a stint in Slovakia. After a sudden breakout with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2021-22, where he recorded 31 points, Hodgson got into seven games with the Flyers, but soon found himself back on the move.
Undeterred, the Windsor, Ontario native caught on with the Senators organization in 2024, fully leaning into an enforcer role with back-to-back campaigns with over 130 penalty minutes. The willingness to drop the mitts has gotten him 11 games with the Sens over the past two years, still looking for his first point with the club, but a metric hardly in his job description.
Hodgson will be eager for his first NHL action since early December, assuming he draws into the lineup against the Devils. Not yet reaching the 9:00 mark with the big club in any of his nine games, there can be less restriction of his ice time in a game against a team firmly out of the playoff picture.
After tonight Ottawa will conclude their regular season Wednesday, hosting the Maple Leafs. Hodgson will be soon to re-join Belleville, who unfortunately won’t qualify for the playoffs, but 2025-26 has been a year to remember with the most NHL playing time in his career so far.
Sharks Recall Luca Cagnoni
The San Jose Sharks announced today that they have recalled Luca Cagnoni from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
Cagnoni hasn’t played in the NHL this season, but got into six NHL games last year. In the meantime, he’s been one of the AHL’s most productive offensive defensemen, scoring 16 goals and 52 points as a rookie in 2024-25, and 43 points in 67 games in 2025-26.
The 5’9″ 180-pound blueliner is a former WHL star who is generally considered to be one of the better prospects in the Sharks’ system, which is one of the league’s very best. As with most defensemen his size, he has had to answer questions related to whether he’ll be able to handle the physical rigor and intensity of the NHL, but so far in his two-year professional career, he’s answered those questions in an emphatically positive direction.
The Sharks have not yet been eliminated from the playoffs, but their hopes of reaching the postseason are very slim. In the event they are eliminated from the playoffs before the end of the regular season, this recall will allow the team to get a look at Cagnoni’s progress.
His success at the AHL level suggests he could be nearing the point of NHL-readiness, and the Sharks are likely to want the chance to assess how close they believe Cagnoni is to making a real push for a full-time NHL roster spot.
The environment of the Sharks defense is favorable to Cagnoni, as he could have a significant opportunity ahead of him. San Jose’s defense is almost entirely unsettled for next season, with only Sam Dickinson and Dmitry Orlov under contract for 2026-27.
Mario Ferraro, Vincent Desharnais, Nick Leddy, and John Klingberg are set to hit unrestricted free agency, while Shakir Mukhamadullin will be an RFA. Klingberg has quarterbacked San Jose’s No. 1 power play unit this season, and if the Sharks let him walk, a significant amount of time on the man advantage will open up – time Cagnoni could very well seize if he makes the team.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall David Jiricek
The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled defenseman David Jiricek from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The move puts the 2022 No. 6 overall pick in a position to potentially make his Flyers debut in one of the team’s final two regular-season games. He was acquired by the Flyers in March in exchange for forward Bobby Brink, but has yet to make his NHL debut.
PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor wrote that he’d “be surprised” if Jiricek actually played on this recall, given the Flyers still need to clinch their playoff spot. The team is 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, so head coach Rick Tocchet might not have much of an appetite to make changes to a lineup that is firing on all cylinders.
But if the Flyers manage to clinch a playoff spot with a game remaining on their schedule, Jiricek could make his debut for the team in the final game of the regular season.
If Jiricek does play, the most likely spot in the lineup for him to take would be on the right side of the team’s third pairing. That’s a spot currently occupied by Emil Andrae, who is a lefty and has averaged 15:17 time on ice per game this season.
Jiricek, 22, has been stellar at the AHL level since joining the Flyers organization. He has 13 points in 13 games, and is playing a significant role in the lineup, soaking up significant minutes and appearing on both sides of special teams.
He could be a major part of the Flyers’ future if he can sort out some of the on-ice issues that helped pave the way for his exit from his last two NHL stops. Right now, though, the Flyers are singularly focused on the present and making the playoffs in these final two games on their schedule.
Red Wings Recall Michael Brandsegg-Nygard
The Detroit Red Wings announced that they have recalled forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. The recall was made under emergency conditions.
Today’s recall comes just shortly after the Red Wings were officially eliminated from playoff contention following a 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils. Detroit has a two-game road trip down to Florida to conclude its 2025-26 season, and now Brandsegg-Nygard will be a part of that trip.
Brandsegg-Nygard, 20, last played in the NHL exactly one month ago, for the final contest of a three-game stint on the NHL roster. Brandsegg-Nygard’s last two games in the NHL coincidentally also came against the league’s two Florida teams, who are the Red Wings’ final two upcoming opponents.
A 2024 first-round pick of the Red Wings, Brandsegg-Nygard is the highest-drafted Norwegian player in NHL history, the first to ever be selected in the first round. He spent the year following his selection in the SHL, scoring 11 points in 40 games for Skellefteå before joining Grand Rapids late in the season. He scored three points in three playoff contests for the Griffins.
This season has been Brandsegg-Nygard’s first full campaign in North America. He’s had a strong year, scoring 20 goals and 44 points in 58 games for Grand Rapids. While he hasn’t yet been able to translate that production to the NHL level, he also hasn’t looked entirely out of place when the Red Wings have brought him up to the NHL.
Brandsegg-Nygard has a hard-working forward who plays an endearing style of hockey that is tailor-made for the North American pro ranks. With how well he’s played in the AHL, and how little he’ll need to change the foundation of his game to be able to at least survive at the NHL level, it’s not out of the question that he makes a push for a full-time NHL roster spot as soon as next fall.
These final two games on Detroit’s schedule could be valuable data points in helping the Red Wings plan for next season’s team – and whether they can count on Brandsegg-Nygard to be on it.