Penguins Assign Harrison Brunicke To AHL
Penguins defenseman Harrison Brunicke was a pleasant surprise heading into this season as he secured a roster spot with the big club despite still being a junior-aged player. He was eventually sent back to the WHL with a full-time assignment to the minors not an allowable option. Now that Brunicke’s junior team has been eliminated, that’s no longer the case and today, the Penguins announced (Twitter link) that they’ve reassigned the blueliner to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The 19-year-old has played in nine games with Pittsburgh this season, picking up a goal along with 13 blocked shots in 15:43 per night of ice time, certainly respectable numbers for a rookie. They sat him for an extended stretch to allow for an AHL conditioning stint where Brunicke was productive, picking up four assists in five games. He was recalled in early December and was immediately loaned to Canada’s World Junior team.
In that tournament, Brunicke didn’t stand out in the way that NHL defensemen often do. He notched two assists in seven games and averaged 16:07 per night, fifth among Canada’s blueliners. Pressed with a decision after the tournament to either recall Brunicke or send him back to junior, the Penguins opted for the latter.
Brunicke suited up in 24 regular season games for WHL Kamloops in the second half of the season, notching two goals and 22 assists, his first point-per-game junior campaign. But with the Blazers being swept in the opening round of the playoffs, he became eligible for reassignment to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton where it’s likely that he’ll play a regular role down the stretch. He remains eligible for recall to Pittsburgh as well but with his next game officially starting his contract, it’s unlikely that he’ll see more NHL action until next season.
Devils Recall Brian Halonen And Marc McLaughlin
The Devils have made a pair of roster moves heading into the first half of a back-to-back set against Montreal that begins tonight. The team announced that they’ve recalled winger Brian Halonen and center Marc McLaughlin from AHL Utica.
It’s the second recall of the season for Halonen, who spent nearly a month with the Devils in his first stint early in the year. The 27-year-old got into nine games during his first stint, picking up his first career NHL goal and point along with 18 hits in 7:30 of playing time per game. He was sent down right before he was set to become waiver-eligible once more after clearing at the end of training camp. Since then, Halonen has played with the Comets, collecting 19 goals and 13 assists in 48 appearances, good for second on the team in points.
As for McLaughlin, he was on season-opening IR until February and after he cleared waivers during the Olympic break, he has been with the Comets since. The 26-year-old has been relatively productive in Utica, notching six goals and seven assists in 21 games to earn this promotion. McLaughlin has seen NHL action in each of the last four years but has been limited to just 28 outings overall where he has six goals and one assist.
Both players are expected to suit up tonight. Team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link) that the two will play on the fourth line alongside Paul Cotter while Maxim Tsyplakov and Evgenii Dadonov will cede their spots in the lineup.
Red Wings Recall Axel Sandin-Pellikka
The Red Wings recalled defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka from AHL Grand Rapids on an emergency basis Saturday, per a team announcement. He will be an option to step into the lineup for today’s matinee against the Rangers in place of Justin Faulk, who will need to miss at least one game with the lower-body injury that knocked him out of Thursday’s big win over the Flyers.
The Wings’ defense has been a bit of a pain point all season, with starting goalie John Gibson doing some legwork to cover up their flaws. Sandin-Pellikka, who appeared in 63 consecutive games to begin the season but was replaced in the lineup by Faulk’s acquisition from the Blues at the trade deadline, was a top-four piece through much of it.
The 21-year-old was the 17th overall pick in 2023 and still arguably has top-pairing upside, but the initial returns were underwhelming. He provided a 6-13–19 scoring line, but his possession impacts were subpar. He suited up primarily as the Wings’ #2 righty on a unit with Ben Chiarot. That pairing only controlled 46.5% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck. Chiarot and Faulk have gotten closer to the waterline with a 49.2 xGF%. Sandin-Pellikka also spent some time with countryman Simon Edvinsson, in which they were porous defensively, allowing 3.25 xGA/60 for a 34.2 xGF%.
It wasn’t too surprising, then, that general manager Steve Yzerman saw upgrading Detroit’s bottom-four on the blue line behind Moritz Seider‘s spectacular top-pair showing as a must at the deadline. Since then, a rash of injuries has contributed to the Wings going on a 5-7-1 skid and falling out of a playoff position. They can rectify that today with two points against the conference-worst Rangers. That, combined with a loss of any kind by the Senators against the Wild, will put them back into the second wild-card spot.
Sandin-Pellikka has looked like a natural in his brief run of play in Grand Rapids over the past few weeks. The 6’0″ Swede has a pair of goals and an assist in four games with a +1 rating. It’s not his minor-league debut; the rookie came over from his loan to Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League late last season and had an assist in two games with Grand Rapids to close out the regular season.
Snapshots: Winterton, Buchnevich, Vaakanainen, Rangers Goaltending
Kraken winger Ryan Winterton has returned to the team, relays Tim Booth of The Seattle Times. He stepped away for a leave of absence following the death of his brother following a cancer battle. However, since he hadn’t been on the ice for two weeks before rejoining the team Thursday, he was a scratch against Utah and it’s unclear when he will ultimately return to Seattle’s lineup. Winterton is in his first full NHL season and has four goals and 14 assists in 62 games while logging 11:47 per night of playing time.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich was a surprise scratch as St. Louis made four lineup changes for tonight’s game against Anaheim. However, the team announced that Buchnevich’s absence was for maintenance reasons. The Blues play Colorado in their next two games and the team is prioritizing getting him as healthy as possible for those two contests. Buchnevich has seen his point total drop for the fourth straight season and has 17 goals and 27 assists through 74 games.
- Rangers defenseman Urho Vaakanainen took part in practice today in a regular (contact) jersey, relays Mollie Walker of the New York Post (Twitter link). That suggests that the 27-year-old is getting closer to returning from an upper-body injury that has kept him out for the past two weeks. Vaakanainen was ruled out week-to-week at the time. He has played in 33 games this season, picking up six assists and 26 blocks while averaging a little under 14 minutes per game of playing time.
- Still with the Rangers, goaltender Jonathan Quick returned to the lineup yesterday, serving as New York’s backup. He had missed the previous seven games due to an upper-body injury. In doing so, the team has converted Dylan Garand’s previous recall from an emergency one to a regular recall as emergency conditions no longer exist. That means he will be one of their five allowable post-deadline promotions. Garand has made two starts so far, turning aside 62 of 65 shots in his first taste of NHL action.
Latest On Nashville’s GM Search
The Predators are no longer the only team currently in the market for a new general manager after Toronto fired Brad Treliving earlier this week. That said, given that current GM Barry Trotz gave notice of his intention to step down just over two months ago, Nashville is much farther along in their search for a replacement.
To that end, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that the Preds are believed to be nearing the in-person stage of their interviewing process, if they’re not there already. He added that he believes Bill Scott (Oilers), Scott White (Stars), Brett Peterson (Panthers), and former Arizona GM John Chayka will be part of that process. Additionally, the team reached out to Win Hockey Agency’s Matt Keator to assess his possible interest but it doesn’t appear he is in the next round of interviews. Meanwhile, Friedman added that Predators assistant GM Jeff Kealty could still be in the mix as well.
Scott has held various roles in Edmonton dating back to 2010 when he first joined the team as GM of their AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City. Since then, he has also held the title of Director of Hockey Operations (including Director of Salary Cap Management) and has been an assistant GM for the Oilers since the 2022-23 campaign.
As for White, he has been with Dallas even longer, dating back to the 2005-06 season when he joined AHL Iowa as their Director of Hockey Operations. Before that, he had spent the past ten years coaching in either college of the ECHL. Since then, White worked his way up to being assistant GM of their AHL squad (now in Texas) and has been an assistant GM with the Stars since 2016.
Peterson, meanwhile, has held an AGM title with Florida since 2020. He also has some international experience, having worked with USA Hockey for the last two World Championships and will serve as the GM for their entry into next month’s tournament as well.
Chayka is the one candidate on this list who is well-known going back to his time with the Coyotes. After just one season as an assistant GM, he was promoted to the top job for the 2016-17 campaign and executed a data-driven approach. Along the way, he brought in several players of consequence (including Derek Stepan, Taylor Hall, and Nick Schmaltz, among others) while utilizing his cap space to add assets for taking on burdensome LTIR-bound contracts. He abruptly resigned from the team in July 2020, just before the ‘bubble playoffs’ started, and hasn’t worked in the NHL since then.
Kealty is certainly the longest-tenured person in this group; he has worked with the Predators since 2001. He started off as a scout, working his way up to Director of Amateur Scouting, then Director of Scouting (professional and amateur). Kealty added the assistant GM title back in 2018 and has held the dual role ever since.
With Trotz staying in his role until a successor is found and the draft still a little more than two months away, there is still plenty of time for the Predators to pick their next general manager. But it appears they’re a step closer to doing so now that they’ve entered the next phase of their search.
Senators Notes: Yakemchuk, Sanderson, Tkachuk, Eller
It has been a rocky few weeks for Ottawa’s back end with the team having to use a dozen different blueliners since the Olympic break. At times, the injury recalls have turned around and gotten injured themselves. The latest was youngster Carter Yakemchuk who was injured on Tuesday against Florida.
Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the previously undisclosed injury for the 20-year-old is one that saw him enter concussion protocol. Accordingly, there is no timetable for his return. Yakemchuk is in his first professional season and has spent the majority of it with AHL Belleville, notching 10 goals and 26 assists in 50 games. Injuries necessitated a promotion earlier this month and he has an assist in four appearances with Ottawa while logging a little under 14 minutes per night of playing time.
There could be some good news on the horizon, however. Garrioch adds that Jake Sanderson took part in today’s optional skate in a regular (contact) jersey after having a non-contact sweater the day before. Sanderson is working his way back from a shoulder injury and could be cleared to return this weekend; they play Minnesota on Saturday and Carolina on Sunday. Sanderson is Ottawa’s top blueliner and has 48 points in 64 games this season while averaging just under 25 minutes per night of action.
Moving away from the back end, the league announced today that forward Brady Tkachuk was fined $2.5K for unsportsmanlike conduct in Thursday’s game against Buffalo. He slashed Beck Malenstyn from the bench, earning himself a two-minute minor on the play. The fine money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Lastly, center Lars Eller achieved his final games played performance bonus earlier this week when he played in his 60th game, earning him another $250K. He received that at the 40-game mark as well. Eller has two more bonuses in his deal (which carries a $1.25MM base salary) but those are playoff-dependent. He’ll receive one if Ottawa can hold onto a playoff spot – they moved into the second Wild Card spot yesterday – while the other wouldn’t be earned unless the Sens make it to the Eastern Conference Final.
Andre Gasseau Unlikely To Sign With Bruins
While this time of year is often thought of as college free agency season, plenty of drafted prospects have been signing contracts in recent weeks with more to come later this month. It’s also a time when senior players who haven’t signed with their drafting teams yet starts to become more notable.
One of those is Bruins prospect Andre Gasseau. The 22-year-old was a seventh-round pick by Boston back in 2021, going 213th overall. But while it appears that the Bruins would like to sign him, he seems to have other plans. Earlier this week, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reported (Twitter link) that there are rumblings that the center wanted a contract that started right away if he was going to sign with Boston. Meanwhile, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that Gasseau isn’t expected to sign, which suggests that the Bruins aren’t offering a deal that begins now. That has him on track for his signing rights to expire on August 15th which would make him a free agent.
Gasseau had a very productive career at Boston College. While injuries limited him to just 23 games this season, he still averaged a point per game with six goals and 17 assists while winning a little over 49% of his faceoffs. Over his four seasons with the Eagles, Gasseau had 43 goals and 68 assists across 135 appearances.
Between those numbers and a six-foot-four NHL-ready frame, it’s fair to suggest that Gasseau will attract interest if he ultimately does hit the open market in mid-August. Alternatively, if there is a team that is willing to play him now, it’s possible that they might flip an asset to Boston to acquire his signing rights although he wouldn’t be eligible to play in the postseason if he were brought in by a playoff-bound team. Either way, it looks like Gasseau will be turning pro with an organization that wasn’t the one that drafted him.
Injury Notes: Makar, Roy, Ekman-Larsson, Gudas, Gauthier, Mintyukov
The Avalanche have received largely good news so far on the status of injured star Cale Makar and trade deadline pickup Nicolas Roy. Head coach Jared Bednar made it clear on Wednesday that Makar will be back before the playoffs. He said the same about Roy earlier in the week after he shed his no-contact designation at practice. However, neither will be re-entering the lineup during their back-to-back this weekend, Bednar told Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. They will not travel to Dallas for tomorrow’s tilt against the Stars but could accompany the team as they head out to face the Blues on the road next Tuesday. They were tossed around by the Canucks 8-6 in their lone outing without Makar so far as he deals with an upper-body injury, while they’ve managed a 3-2-0 record in five games without Roy since he went down with an upper-body issue on March 22.
Other injury notes from around the league:
- Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson could miss a game because of an injury designation for the first time all season. Toronto was eliminated from playoff contention with last night’s loss to the Sharks, and they also lost Ekman-Larsson midway through the game with a lower-body injury. He hasn’t been ruled out entirely for tomorrow’s game against the Kings but is highly doubtful to play, Luke Fox of Sportsnet relays. The 34-year-old has been good for eight goals and 38 points through 73 games, leading Toronto defenders in scoring while producing his best point-per-game total since 2020-21, his final season with the Coyotes.
- While Ducks captain Radko Gudas hopped back into the lineup against Toronto earlier in the week after ending Leafs captain Auston Matthews‘ season with a knee-on-knee hit, he wasn’t fully recovered from a lower-body injury of his own that he sustained back on March 26 against the Flames. After racking up 17 penalty minutes against the Leafs, he bowed back out of the lineup for Wednesday’s loss to the Sharks. He won’t be able to go tonight against the Blues, either, head coach Joel Quenneville said (via Derek Lee of The Hockey News). Neither will fellow rearguard Pavel Mintyukov nor leading scorer Cutter Gauthier, for that matter, a blow for their hopes to gain some separation from the streaking Oilers for the Pacific Division title. Mintyukov has also missed two of the last three with a lower-body issue, while Gauthier will miss his second straight game with the upper-body injury he sustained against Toronto in an early collision with teammate Leo Carlsson.
Flames Recall Aydar Suniev
The Flames recalled wing prospect Aydar Suniev from AHL Calgary on Friday, per a team announcement. It appears he’ll be getting a look in the lineup this weekend against the Ducks as Calgary continues to flex its youngsters into limited trial roles down the stretch. In doing so, they’ve now used up four of the five regular recalls they’re allotted after the trade deadline.
If he gets into a game, it’ll be Suniev’s first since making his NHL debut in Game 82 of last season. The 21-year-old was a third-round pick in 2023 out of the Penticton Vees, then of British Columbia’s junior ‘A’ league, before spending the next two seasons at UMass. He starred as a sophomore for the Minutemen, posting 20 goals and 38 points in 35 games, before opting to turn pro.
Suniev hasn’t had the adjustment the Flames were hoping for. He hasn’t done much to push for a recall throughout the season. His work-in-progress skating has severely hampered his two-way utility, so while he’s tied for fourth on the AHL squad with 15 goals in 55 games, he’s added just eight assists and has a team-worst -26 rating.
As Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff opined last offseason, Suniev is the Flames’ #10 prospect and can easily rise up that list if the club’s development coaches are able to continue working on his skating. He’ll get a brief check-in at the NHL level here with seven games left in the Flames’ season to see how he looks against tougher competition. If there isn’t some meaningful progress there, though, the 6’2″, 198-lb winger will likely need to start leveraging his frame more to try and carve out a role as a bottom-six grinder.
Blues Sign Colin Ralph To Entry-Level Deal
The Blues signed Michigan State defenseman Colin Ralph to an entry-level contract on Friday, per a team press release. It is a three-year pact that will begin next season. Per PuckPedia, the deal carries a $1.075MM cap hit and will warrant a $1.114MM qualifying offer upon expiry in 2029. The full breakdown is as follows:
| Year | NHL salary | Signing bonus | Potential performance bonuses | Minors salary |
| 2026-27 | $922.5K | $102.5K | $250K – Schedule ‘A’ | $85K |
| 2027-28 | $967.5K | $107.5K | $500K – Schedule ‘A’ | $85K |
| 2028-29 | $1.013MM | $112.5K | $750K – Schedule ‘A’ | $85K |
Ralph, a physical two-way lefty, was the first of St. Louis’ two second-round picks in 2024, going 48th overall out of premier Minnesota prep school Shattuck St. Mary’s. Standing at 6’4″ and 229 lbs, that size – plus his 66 points in 57 games against under-18 competition to lead Shattuck defenders in scoring in his draft year – made him an attractive candidate for a Blues club that continually prioritizes size on its blue line, although most scouts had him pegged as a third-round talent at best.
The Minnesota native stayed in his home state in 2024-25, suiting up for St. Cloud State as a freshman. He had some growing pains, though, finishing the year with eight points and a -4 rating in 35 games. He quickly entered the transfer portal and landed with Michigan State. He now turns pro after just one year with the Spartans, but his sophomore effort was a strong one. He pushed for a bit more playing time and ended up with a 1-10–11 scoring line and a +20 rating in 37 outings.
Ralph’s frame and lack of offensive utility thus far at higher levels indicate he’ll be more of a shutdown piece at the pro level. He did win gold at last year’s World Junior Championship as a depth rearguard for the United States, posting an assist in seven games. Ralph is the #8-ranked Blues prospect according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic and Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, sitting fourth in the pool among defenders.
He’ll now have an initial three-year track, most of which will likely be spent with AHL Springfield, before the Blues have to make their first decision on whether or not to retain him. He likely won’t be very high on the list for a recall next year, but should push for initial NHL playing time in 2027-28 or 2028-29.