Lagesson’s recall is likely in response to Jeff Petry’s status tomorrow night. Petry sustained an undisclosed injury in the team’s recent win against the Columbus Blue Jackets last night limiting him to 17:17 of ice time despite averaging nearly 20 minutes for much of the season.

Even if Petry’s injury keeps him out of the lineup tomorrow night, his minutes will likely go to Albert Johansson, who hasn’t factored into Todd McLellan’s scheme since taking over behind the bench on December 26th. Johansson has largely skated in a depth role for Detroit this season, tallying one assist in 17 contests.

That’s more than Lagesson can say. This roster move marks Largesson’s fourth recall to the Red Wings’ active roster this season but he’s only appeared in two games. He skated on a third-pairing role in those contests averaging 15:57 of ice time without finding the scoresheet.

His real value has come in AHL Grand Rapids where Lagesson continues to be a defensive boon. He’s only scored three goals and nine points in 23 games for the Griffins this year but leads the team with an impressive +13 rating.

If Detroit is sure that Petry can suit up against the Jets by tomorrow morning, there’s a real chance that Lagesson could head back to Grand Rapids as early as tomorrow. The Griffins line up against the Milwaukee Admirals tomorrow night but won’t have another game until January 10th meaning Lagesson may not participate in a game for a week.

Lagesson has been shuffled back and forth in recent days but did get into two games with Detroit this week.  He was held off the scoresheet while averaging just shy of 16 minutes a night.  In his first season with the Red Wings, he has spent most of the year with the Griffins, picking up eight points in 20 games.  With Simon Edvinsson recently landing on IR, there’s a good chance that Lagesson will be recalled after the break but for a few days at least, they’ll pause his waiver exemption clock.

As for Wallinder, he was the corresponding recall on Monday when Edvinsson was moved to injured reserve but he didn’t suit up against St. Louis.  The 22-year-old is in the second year of his entry-level deal and is off to a solid start with the Griffins this season.  Wallinder has eight points in 19 games in 2024-25 after putting up 19 in 65 contests in his rookie year last season.  Waivers aren’t a consideration for him but the move will allow Detroit to bank a bit more cap space for a few days before deciding about bringing him back up or not.

With these assignments, the Red Wings now have two open spots on their active roster.

This is already Lagesson’s third call up of the season. Despite that, he’s yet to actually step into the Red Wings lineup – with the entirety of his ice time instead coming in the minor leagues. Lagesson has recorded eight points in 20 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins – second-most among the team’s defenders. He spent nearly all of the 2023-24 season on NHL rosters, starting the year with the Toronto Maple Leafs and ending it with the Anaheim Ducks, courtesy of a March waiver claim. Lagesson played in 40 NHL games in the year – split 30 and 10 between Toronto and Anaheim, though four assists in Toronto would stand as his only scoring.

Lagesson played in 60 NHL games prior to last season, split between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens. He only added seven assists in those appearances, dragging the quest for his first NHL goal through parts of five seasons. He’s been much more reliable as a minor-leaguer, tallying 23 goals and 80 points across 193 games and six seasons in the AHL.

Lagesson will back up the injured Edvinsson, who’s been a top pair option for Detroit when healthy. Playing through his first full year in the NHL, Edvinsson has scored three goals and 13 points in 30 games. He led the Grand Rapids Griffins in scoring last season, with 30 points in 54 games. Edvinsson will look to slot back in on Monday. If he can’t, he’ll have to wait until after the holiday break – when Detroit takes on Toronto on December 27th.

Dec. 3: The Red Wings announced Tuesday that they’ve placed right-winger Patrick Kane on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 23. He’s already missed four games with an upper-body injury and remains day-to-day, so he’s eligible to come off IR anytime.

Thus, his move to IR is only procedural and will only open up an additional roster spot for Detroit. Shortly before confirming Kane’s IR placement, the team said the open spot was used to recall defenseman William Lagesson from AHL Grand Rapids. The Red Wings’ active roster count remains at a maximum of 23.

The 2024-25 season has been difficult for the 36-year-old Kane, who has only three goals and seven assists for 10 points through 20 contests. The 2016 MVP and four-time All-Star is shooting at a career-low 7.5% clip and averaging a career-low 17:21 per game.

Kane’s struggles highlight a more significant issue with the Wings’ depth scoring, the lack of which is arguably the biggest reason why they remain one game below .500 and four points out of a playoff spot entering a pivotal matchup with the Atlantic Division rival Bruins tonight. He’s also been among Detroit’s worst players at controlling possession at even strength, logging a 41.9 CF% that sits 15th out of the 20 Red Wings skaters to play at least 10 games this season.

The Red Wings signed Kane to a one-year, $4MM extension in late June with up to $2.5MM in potential performance bonuses. He’s already earned $1.5MM in bonuses by hitting the 10-game mark, with an additional $250K possible if he hits 60 games. The remaining $750K can only be unlocked if Detroit makes the playoffs, which The Athletic gives just a three percent chance of happening.

Lagesson, 28, was recalled once earlier this season to serve as injury insurance on Nov. 18 against the Sharks but did not play. He was returned to Grand Rapids the following day.

After clearing waivers during training camp, Lagesson has posted two goals, three assists, five points, 14 PIMs, and a team-high +9 rating in 13 games with Grand Rapids. He has not played since Nov. 24 against Iowa after the AHL’s Player Safety Committee assessed him a three-game suspension for roughing Wild right-wing prospect Adam Raška. Lagesson has served that suspension and will be eligible to suit up for Grand Rapids again whenever the Red Wings reassign him.

As to why the Wings recalled Lagesson, he gives them an extra depth option on the blue line for their two-game divisional road swing this week. The 6’2″, 207-lb righty signed a one-year, one-way league minimum contract with Detroit in free agency over the summer after suiting up in a career-high 40 games with the Maple Leafs and Ducks last season.

Nov. 18: The Red Wings summoned defenseman William Lagesson from AHL Grand Rapids on Monday, per a team announcement. Detroit had an open spot on the active roster, so no corresponding transaction is necessary.

It’s the first recall for Lagesson after he cleared waivers before the regular season. He comes up from the AHL with the Red Wings in need of an extra defenseman after Simon Edvinsson missed Saturday’s game against the Kings with a lower-body injury.

Lagesson, 28, signed a one-way deal worth $775K with Detroit in the offseason. He’s coming off an eventful 2023-24 season that saw him unexpectedly set a career-high in games played with 40, making 30 appearances as a depth option for the Maple Leafs before being selected off waivers by the Ducks on trade deadline day and playing 10 games for Anaheim down the stretch.

A serviceable option to slot in anywhere between seventh and 10th on a team’s defense depth chart, Lagesson has 11 assists in 100 career NHL games dating back to his debut with the Oilers in the 2019-20 season. The 2014 fourth-round pick has long since solidified himself as a premier defensive option at the AHL level, playing a well-rounded game and leveraging his 6’2″, 207-lb frame to be an effective physical factor. His possession numbers at the NHL level have routinely been passable for a depth role, controlling 49.4% of shot attempts when on the ice at even strength.

Lagesson is off to a good start in Grand Rapids, too. In his first AHL action since a five-game run with Toronto early in 2023-24, the Swede has five points in 11 games with a team-high +10 rating, including a +9 mark in his last five outings.

It’s unlikely that strong showing will result in a meaningful NHL audition with Detroit, though. He’s projected to sit in the press box for tonight’s game against the Sharks while serving as last-minute injury insurance with Edvinsson ruled out.

Lagesson, who will be an unrestricted free agent again next summer, can remain on the roster for up to 30 non-consecutive days or play 10 games until he needs waivers again to return to Grand Rapids.

Boston Bruins

F Patrick Brown
G Brandon Bussi
G Jiri Patera
D Billy Sweezey
F Jeffrey Viel

Buffalo Sabres

D Kale Clague
G James Reimer
F Lukas Rousek

Calgary Flames

G Devin Cooley
F Jakob Pelletier
F Cole Schwindt

Carolina Hurricanes

F Josiah Slavin
D Ty Smith
F Ryan Suzuki

Chicago Blackhawks 

D Isaak Phillips

Detroit Red Wings

F Sheldon Dries
D Justin Holl
D William Lagesson
D Brogan Rafferty
F Joe Snively

Edmonton Oilers

D Josh Brown
F Drake Caggiula
F Raphael Lavoie
G Olivier Rodrigue

Los Angeles Kings

G Pheonix Copley
F Samuel Fagemo
F Jack Studnicka

Nashville Predators

D Marc Del Gaizo

New Jersey Devils

F Shane Bowers
D Nick DeSimone
F Nolan Foote
D Colton White

New York Islanders

D Samuel Bolduc
F Pierre Engvall
F Hudson Fasching
F Liam Foudy
G Marcus Hogberg
D Grant Hutton
F Fredrik Karlstrom
G Jakub Skarek

New York Rangers

D Matthew Robertson

Ottawa Senators

F Adam Gaudette
F Jan Jenik

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Sebastian Aho
F Bokondji Imama

St. Louis Blues

D Corey Schueneman
D Tyler Tucker

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Gage Goncalves
D Steven Santini
F Jesse Ylonen

Toronto Maple Leafs

G Matt Murray
D Marshall Rifai

Utah Hockey Club

G Matt Villalta

Vancouver Canucks

D Erik Brannstrom

Vegas Golden Knights

F Zach Aston-Reese
F Tanner Laczynski
F Jonas Rondbjerg

Washington Capitals

G Hunter Shepard

Winnipeg Jets

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan

Throughout the 2023-24 NHL season, the Red Wings used four different goaltenders as the team posted a .897 save percentage and a 3.33 GA/G. Hoping to rectify some of the inconsistency in the net, Detroit landed Talbot on a two-year deal after an impressive season with the Los Angeles Kings.

Playing on another one-year contract, Talbot posted a 27-20-6 record in 52 starts and a solid .913 save percentage behind a solid Kings’ defense. With one of the main criticisms behind the Red Wings’ poor goals-against being their defense, it will be interesting to see how Talbot can perform behind a less capable defensive structure. Additionally, if netminder Ville Husso can remain healthy for the 2024-25 season, head coach Derek Lalonde will get crafty in his decision-making to spread out the available starts.

Lagesson comes to the Motor City after a disappointing season split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks. Likely destined for AHL Grand Rapids, the former fourth-round pick is coming off a season in which he scored only four assists in 40 games while averaging almost 15 minutes of ice time per game. Lagesson has value as a physical defenseman but shouldn’t factor in too much at the NHL level in a crowded Detroit blue line.

March 7: Eight players, including Hurricanes defenseman Tony DeAngelo, were placed on waivers Thursday, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The full list is as follows:

Calgary Flames
D Jordan Oesterle

Carolina Hurricanes
D Tony DeAngelo
F Brendan Lemieux
G Antti Raanta

Chicago Blackhawks
F Boris Katchouk

Florida Panthers
G Evan Cormier

Toronto Maple Leafs
D William Lagesson

Vegas Golden Knights
D Tobias Björnfot

Of note, players who are assigned to the minors after clearing waivers tomorrow will be eligible to play in the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs. Players must be on loan to the AHL at the time of the trade deadline to be cleared to play in postseason action.

The Hurricanes’ trio of waived players is purely for roster flexibility ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic says. It’s unclear if any of the three players will be assigned to AHL clubs if they pass through unclaimed. The Hurricanes are the only NHL team without a dedicated AHL affiliate.

Raanta, a pending UFA with a $1.5MM cap hit, has a decent chance at being claimed by a team looking to add a backup netminder for free by tomorrow afternoon. That could very well include the Flyers, who have struggled to find consistency in the crease outside of breakout starter Samuel Ersson. Raanta has struggled this season with a .872 SV% and 2.99 GAA behind a stout Hurricanes defense, but he’s now posted a SV% above .900 in each of his last three appearances and could be on the upswing at just the right time. With Frederik Andersen returning to health after a months-long absence and both Pyotr Kochetkov and Spencer Martin playing well, Raanta appears unlikely to be back with Carolina this season regardless of whether he gets claimed.

Oesterle will likely head to the minors after being pushed down the Flames’ defensive depth chart. The club has brought in Joel Hanley off waivers and Daniil Miromanov via trade from the Golden Knights this week, eliminating the need for Oesterle as a depth option on the roster for now. The 31-year-old has two assists and a -6 rating in 22 games.

Assigning Katchouk to AHL Rockford will allow Chicago to clear a necessary roster spot ahead of Saturday’s game against the Capitals. Both Andreas Athanasiou and Nikita Zaitsev are expected to play, per Mark Lazerus of The Athletic, and will need to come off injured reserve to do so. The Blackhawks only have one open roster spot, so one more needed to be cleared.

Cormier was not signed to an NHL contract, so the Panthers inked him to a one-year, two-way deal ($775K NHL/$75K AHL) for the remainder of the season before waiving him, per PuckPedia. The 26-year-old has a .868 SV% and 1-2-2 record in five games for AHL Charlotte this season and a .910 SV% and 8-5-3 record in 18 games for ECHL Florida. By signing him to an NHL contract, he’ll be eligible to be on the Panthers’ roster in the postseason as added goaltending insurance if necessary.

Toronto’s waiving of Lagesson was reported earlier Thursday. He’s been designated non-roster while on the waiver wire, creating the necessary roster space for Joel Edmundson, who was acquired from the Capitals today. He’s dressed in 30 games for the Leafs, notching four assists and a +5 rating while averaging 14:31 per game.

Meanwhile, Björnfot, a 2019 first-round pick of the Kings, lands on waivers for the second time this season. Vegas claimed him off waivers from Los Angeles in January, but he played in just two games for them while battling injuries, posting a -2 rating while averaging 14:01 per game. Assigning him to AHL Henderson would create an open roster spot ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline, allowing the Golden Knights to make a potential third acquisition after bringing in Noah Hanifin and Anthony Mantha.

Lagesson has served as one of many depth defenders to fill in for injured Leafs this season, playing in 30 NHL games and recording four assists, 19 penalty minutes, and a +5. He’s still searching for his first NHL goal, failing to score in any of the 90 games he’s played, dating back to the 2019-20 season when he made his debut with the Edmonton Oilers. In fact, Lagesson hasn’t scored a goal in any of his last five seasons – save for a scoring explosion with the Chicago Wolves last year, when he managed a career-high 10 goals and 32 points in 65 games. But outside of that burst, Lagesson’s role has largely been on the defensive side of the puck, with his long reach and control along the boards helping to control transition up and down the ice.

The Ducks will likely lean on Lagesson as extra defensive depth behind current seventh-defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who has one goal and 12 points in the first 54 games of his career. Anaheim has seen a rotating door of defensemen this season, leaning on eight different blue-liners despite not bearing with substantial injuries. Their defense corp is also incredibly young, with rookies Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, and LaCombe all earning routine roles.

Giordano suffered a lower-body injury last Wednesday in a game against the Dallas Stars and took some time off to recover. Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters today that the team will see how Giordano is feeling tomorrow morning before deciding on whether or not he will play tomorrow night against the St. Louis Blues.

Giordano has a goal and five assists in 34 games this season and hasn’t registered a point in his past 12 games.

In other Maple Leafs notes:

• David Alter is also reporting that Maple Leafs forward David Kämpf will likely return for tomorrow night’s game against the Blues. Kämpf is currently on the injured reserve with an undisclosed injury but will be activated prior to game time if he is good to go in the morning. The 29-year-old hasn’t played since January 27th and has had a disappointing campaign thus far with just four goals and four assists in 46 games.
• Alter is also reporting that Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins will miss tomorrow night’s game with an illness. It will be the fifth game in a row that the St. Catharines, Ontario native has missed as he has appeared in just 16 games this season for Toronto. The 25-year-old had an appointment today to plan a path going forward as he tries to get back into the lineup. Timmins has dressed in just three games since Christmas and could certainly give the Maple Leafs a boost, especially with Morgan Reilly awaiting supplemental discipline.

Tuch has dealt with two injury-related absences of at least three games this season, the other being an upper-body injury that sidelined him for three games in mid-November. When in the lineup, his production has lagged from last season’s 1.07 points-per-game pace, posting eight goals and 17 points with a -4 rating and 52.7% Corsi share at even strength in 22 games. The Sabres have gone 2-3-1 without Tuch in the lineup and 9-11-2 with him.

Buffalo could be without an additional regular tonight, as Granato also said defenseman Mattias Samuelsson is questionable against the Coyotes after leaving today’s practice early due to soreness. Samuelsson, who is in the first season of a seven-year, $30MM extension, missed three games with a lower-body injury in early November and was a game-time decision with an upper-body injury late last month after leaving a November 25 contest against the Devils prematurely. He’s once again leveraged heavy minutes for the Sabres, averaging over 20 minutes per game for a third consecutive season. He’s recorded a goal and two assists along with a -2 rating in 25 games, and his 49.6% even strength Corsi share is a career-high.

More from around the Atlantic Division:

• Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy didn’t practice today and remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, per Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe. McAvoy missed Saturday’s win over the Coyotes after sustaining the injury in Thursday’s game against the Sabres. This is the second time he’s been held out of the lineup this season, the first being a four-game suspension in early November for a check to the head of Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. While McAvoy’s 0.81 points per game this season are the best of his career, he’s taken a step back defensively, posting a 51% Corsi share at even strength and a -4 rating, both career lows. Ryan also relays word from Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery that center Pavel Zacha remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and he, along with McAvoy, is questionable for Wednesday’s contest against his former team, the Devils. New Jersey’s sixth-overall pick in 2015, Zacha was sent to the Bruins in a one-for-one swap for Erik Haula in July 2022 and has since assumed a top-six role, posting 76 points in 108 games over the past two seasons while averaging 16:37 per game. Zacha took just eight shifts in Saturday’s game against the Coyotes before exiting.
• Maple Leafs defenseman William Lagesson will be a game-time decision tonight against the Islanders due to illness but is likely to play, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed to reporters (via David Alter of The Hockey News). It’s been a tidy season for Lagesson so far, who’s been a solid injury fill-in for players such as Mark Giordano, Timothy Liljegren and Jake McCabe, who have missed significant time this season on Toronto’s back end. Signed to provide a reliable call-up option with a handful of NHL games under his belt, Lagesson has logged one assist in 14 games this season, recording a -1 rating and 49.4% even-strength Corsi share while averaging 15 minutes per game. Across 74 games with the Maple Leafs, Oilers and Canadiens dating back to the 2019-20 season, the 27-year-old is still looking for his first NHL goal.

The move regarding Minten, 19, is an expected one. The 2022 38th overall pick had an impressive training camp and preseason, earning Toronto’s third-line center role to start the season.

While he showed some flashes in four regular-season games for the Maple Leafs, it became clear that expecting him to hold down such an important role on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations would not only be a mistake, but also potentially be a detriment to his development.

So Minten will return to the Blazers, who are currently sorely in need of some offensive reinforcements. They’ve scored just 27 goals through 12 games this season, the fewest in the WHL, so adding a former 67-point scorer such as Minten will be a major boon to their nightly competitive chances.

As for Lagesson, the 27-year-old veteran defenseman’s recall was necessitated by the fact that Jake McCabe exited last night’s game with an injury.

The six-foot-two left-shot blueliner has so far played this season entirely at the AHL level but has 60 games of NHL experience.

Lagesson could join fellow Swede Timothy Liljegren on Toronto’s second pairing, or he could even be paired with another Swede, John Klingberg, on the team’s bottom-pairing with Mark Giordano elevated to Liljegren’s pairing.

Oct. 8: It’s expected to be a busy day on the waiver wire, as NHL teams are making their final adjustments to the roster they’ll bring into the start of the 2023-24 season. There have already been numerous notable names exposed to the waiver wire thus far this preseason, and that list could only expand today. All players from yesterday’s waiver wire have cleared.

Anaheim Ducks

D Lassi Thomson
G Alex Stalock
F Andrew Agozzino

Boston Bruins

F Patrick Brown
F A.J. Greer

Arizona Coyotes

F Travis Boyd
F Zach Sanford
G Ivan Prosvetov

Carolina Hurricanes

D Dylan Coghlan

Chicago Blackhawks

F Joey Anderson

Colorado Avalanche

F Riley Tufte

Dallas Stars

F Riley Damiani

Detroit Red Wings

F Zach Aston-Reese

Edmonton Oilers

F Raphael Lavoie
F Lane Pederson
D Ben Gleason

Florida Panthers

F Zac Dalpe
D John Ludvig
D Casey Fitzgerald

Los Angeles Kings

F Jaret Anderson-Dolan

Montreal Canadiens

F Joel Armia
D Gustav Lindström

Ottawa Senators

F Bokondji Imama

Pittsburgh Penguins

G Magnus Hellberg
F Colin White
D Mark Friedman
F Vinnie Hinostroza
F Radim Zohorna

St. Louis Blues
F Mackenzie MacEachern
D Calle Rosen
G Malcolm Subban
F Nathan Walker

Tampa Bay Lightning

D Zach Bogosian
F Gabriel Fortier

Toronto Maple Leafs

G Martin Jones
F Kyle Clifford
F Dylan Gambrell
D William Lagesson
D Maxime Lajoie

Vancouver Canucks

F Jack Studnicka
D Christian Wolanin

Vegas Golden Knights

F Grigori Denisenko

Winnipeg Jets

D Kyle Capobianco
G Collin Delia
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby

The big surprise here out of Arizona regards Boyd. The versatile 30-year-old veteran doesn’t have an exorbitant contract (just $1.75MM through the end of the season) and has scored 69 points across the last two seasons.

He’s been something of a breakout player for the Coyotes as his 17-goal, 35-point 2022-23 was far and away his best season in his career, so it’s definitely a surprise to see him exposed on waivers.

For Anaheim, the move to waive Stalock likely means that Lukáš Dostál has won the Ducks’ backup goalie job behind John Gibson, as should Stalock clear the Ducks will have the option to send him down to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.

In Edmonton, it comes as a little bit of a surprise to see Lavioe waived. The 23-year-old power forward was drafted just outside of the 2019 first round, and took a real step forward in his development last season. He became a genuinely impactful AHLer, scoring 25 goals and 45 points. He’s a name to watch in terms of players with the potential to be claimed out of this group.

Anderson-Dolan finally made the NHL on an extended basis last season, and scored 12 points in 46 games. He even got some playoff action under his belt, but seeing as he was a near-point-per-game scorer in his last season in the AHL, it seems the Kings could prefer to have him start the season with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

Rosen appears the likeliest candidate from the Blues’ group of waived players to be of interest to other teams, as he’s owed just a $762.5k cap hit this season and impressed in 49 games of NHL action last season. He scored 18 points in that span and could interest teams in need of some additional defensive help.

Out of Tampa is Bogosian, and it’s reported that the Lightning are hoping to put the veteran blueliner in a position to land on another team where he can play a bigger role than he’d be offered in Tampa. The 33-year-old won a Stanley Cup for the Lightning and it seems that the organization is looking to do right by the player while also turning to other options to staff their defense.

One of the biggest names on waivers comes out of Toronto, as Jones played in 48 games last season but now finds himself exposed to 31 other clubs. With an $875k cap hit, the veteran netminder could end up claimed by teams in need of instant goaltending support, such as the Lightning who don’t have much depth after the injury to superstar Andrei Vasilevskiy.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Akhtyamov has signed a three-year entry-level deal with an $851k cap hit, while Lagesson and Lajoie each signed one-year, two-way deals worth $775k at the NHL level. Rifai got a $775k AAV deal as well but with a two-year term.

Lagesson, 27, is a former Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens defenseman who spent last season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. He scored 32 points in 65 games for Chicago and will likely be a top-four, if not top-pairing defenseman for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies while also serving as useful organizational depth for the left side of Toronto’s defense.

Lajoie, 25, also played for the Wolves last season and is less of an all-around defenseman compared to Lagesson. He’s got more of an offensive bent to his game, as reflected by the 45 points he scored for Chicago in 63 games, a number that ranked third among all Wolves skaters. He’ll likely be counted upon as a top offensive blueliner for the Marlies but might be less of a call-up possibility due to his game being less balanced compared to Lagesson.

Rifai, 25, is an undrafted six-foot-one left-shot blueliner who spent last season with the Marlies, his first as a pro hockey player. He signed with the Marlies after a four-year career at Harvard University, and led the Marlies in penalty minutes this past season with 118. This deal gives Rifai a nice bump in pay while also allowing him to continue his development in the Maple Leafs organization.

Akhtyamov is a 21-year-old 2020 fourth-round pick of the Maple Leafs who spent last season with Neftyanik Almetievsk in the VHL, Russia’s second-tier hockey league. He played extremely well there, posting a .943 save percentage and 1.74 goals-against-average in the regular season, and 1.53/.952 marks in six playoff games. Toronto already has Keith Petruzzelli, Dennis Hildeby, and Vyacheslav Peksa under contract for next season, so will likely end up in a tandem with one of them at either the AHL or ECHL level.

Lagesson provides a strong, physical presence on the blue line. He has plenty of NHL and AHL games under his belt and adds to the experience of our defensive unit.

Now 26, Lagesson was a fourth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers back in 2014 and took a very interesting path to the NHL. After being picked out of the Swedish junior leagues, he played a year in the USHL and two in the NCAA before returning to the SHL in 2017-18. Two more seasons starting in the AHL and he was finally ready to make his debut with the Oilers, nearly six years after being picked.

Since then, he has played in 60 games at the NHL level, including three with the Montreal Canadiens after being part of the return for Brett Kulak earlier this year.

Now in Carolina, he’ll serve as useful depth and could even battle for a final roster spot depending on what happens with Ethan Bear, who has been in trade rumors for the past several weeks. While he likely won’t play in every game, Lagesson will probably get a chance to hit the ice at least a handful of times with the Hurricanes and show that he can handle himself at the highest level.