Jets Activate Neal Pionk From Injured Reserve
Only five points out of the final Wild Card spot in the West, the Jets still have an outside shot at a playoff spot but they will have to be much sharper down the stretch to have a chance. Getting one of their top defensemen back will help as the team announced (Twitter link) prior to today’s game against Pittsburgh that Neal Pionk has been activated off injured reserve.
The 30-year-old has missed more than two months with a lower-body injury and Winnipeg’s back end has certainly taken a hit for it. Even in a down year offensively by his standards (just eight points in 40 games after putting up 39 points last season), Pionk has been an all-situations player this season. His 22:47 ATOI ranks second on the team behind only Josh Morrissey while he leads all Jets players in shorthanded playing time per game.
Winnipeg’s back end has undergone some changes in the second half of the season. Veteran Colin Miller remains out with a long-term injury of his own while Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn were shipped to Buffalo at the trade deadline. That deal yielded Jacob Bryson as part of the return while youngster Elias Salomonsson is now playing more of a regular role.
Now, Pionk’s return means that Winnipeg’s top four is now fully intact, with him joining Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, and Dylan Samberg. Whether that’s enough to kickstart a long enough winning streak to get back to the postseason remains to be seen but he’ll still be a big addition to their back end for the stretch run.
Noah Laba And Urho Vaakanainen Out Week-To-Week
With the Rangers well out of playoff contention and playing out the stretch, this is the time of year when it would be good to get some of their younger players or depth pieces a bit more playing time to help evaluate things for next season. That won’t be happening for a pair of players, however. Newsday’s Denis P. Gorman relays (Twitter link) that center Noah Laba and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen are listed as out week-to-week.
Laba sustained a lower-body injury on Wednesday against New Jersey. The 22-year-old came into training camp, locked down a roster spot to start the year, and hasn’t looked back since as he has been a regular in New York’s bottom six. Through 65 games this season, Laba has nine goals and 12 assists while winning just over half of his faceoffs. He has also chipped in with 90 hits while logging over 13 minutes a night of ice time, a solid freshman year overall.
As for Vaakanainen, he also was injured against the Devils, though with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old has been a depth defender for the Rangers since coming over as part of the Jacob Trouba trade early last season. Through 33 games, he has six assists and 26 blocks in 13:48 per game of ice time. Instead of possibly getting a chance to make a case for a more stable role down the stretch, he’ll now be sidelined for the next little while.
With Connor Mackey being recalled on Thursday and New York still having 12 healthy forwards on the roster, it’s unlikely that there will be any further promotions from AHL Hartford for the time being. If they do elect to call up someone, that move would count against their post-deadline limit of five since they have enough healthy players to not be eligible for an emergency recall.
Bruins Expect To Sign James Hagens
It’s possible that the Bruins will add a piece to their roster as they look to continue their playoff push in the tight Eastern Conference standings. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported earlier this week on Daily Faceoff Live (video link) that Boston expects that they will be signing prospect James Hagens to an entry-level contract.
Boston College was eliminated last night in the Hockey East semifinals and with them not being high enough in the NPI rankings to land one of the ten at-large bids to the end-of-season tournament, a deal could come together quickly.
One of six Boston prospects on the Eagles, Hagens was the seventh overall pick in the draft last June, falling a bit after coming into the year as a potential number one selection. With the Bruins needing some impact pieces down the middle in their system, they were certainly quite pleased that he dropped to them.
After a solid freshman year that saw him average a point per game with 11 goals and 26 assists in 37 appearances, Hagens improved upon some of those numbers this season. In 34 games, he potted 23 goals and 24 assists, leading the team in scoring by eight points. (Dean Letourneau, another Boston first-rounder, was second on Boston College in scoring.)
Assuming that Hagens eventually signs a deal that begins this season, he’d become eligible to play for the Bruins down the stretch and in the postseason if they qualify. Given his success at the NCAA level, it’s likely that Hagens would slot into the lineup right away (though potentially as a winger) and if he can give their forward group a small boost, that might be a big difference-maker in their playoff push.
Avalanche Reassign Ivan Ivan
Saturday: Following Friday’s game against Chicago, the Avalanche announced that they’ve returned Ivan to the minors. He played in two games while on recall, seeing just under 13 minutes of ice time combined in those outings.
Wednesday: The Avalanche have recalled forward Ivan Ivan from AHL Colorado, per the NHL’s media portal. With Ross Colton, Gabriel Landeskog, and Artturi Lehkonen still sidelined, the Avs will dress 12 forwards and six defensemen tonight against the Stars after going 11 and seven in the last three games without Colton.
Technically, it’s Ivan’s sixth recall of the season. The last five came in an 11-day span in January, while Ivan was recalled only on game days and sent down in between. While that used to be a common practice, it’s no longer permitted if the player isn’t logging at least one AHL appearance between each recall. That meant Ivan was playing quite a lot of hockey that month as the Avs’ and Eagles’ game and travel schedules lined up favorably.
The Avs have opted to use a bare-minimum roster all season long. They’ve gone 11-and-seven on multiple occasions because of it, but when they’ve opted to have a 12th forward when stressed by injuries, Ivan has been part of a loose rotation between himself, Jason Polin, Tristen Nielsen, and a few others. The 23-year-old has suited up seven times between call-ups this year, registering one assist, a +2 rating, four shots, and two hits while averaging just 7:45 of ice time per game. He’s played much more infrequently after injuries above him got him into 40 NHL games as a rookie last year, in which he put up a 5-3–8 scoring line with a -9 rating.
It hasn’t been a great year in the minors for Ivan, either. He’s been limited to seven goals and 19 points in 55 AHL games. Considering he had 31 points in 67 games as a first-year pro on an AHL deal with Colorado two seasons ago, that’s a considerable step back. With his entry-level contract expiring, that offensive regression has him at risk of being non-tendered, especially as he’ll be eligible for arbitration and Colorado might want to avoid that award.
Penguins Sign Gabriel D’Aigle To Entry-Level Deal
The Penguins announced Saturday that they’ve signed goaltender Gabriel D’Aigle to an entry-level deal. It’s a three-year contract, although financial terms were not disclosed. The deal begins next season and will take him through the 2028-29 campaign. He will not join AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton or ECHL Wheeling on a tryout yet. His junior season is still ongoing with the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres, who play their final regular-season game today before heading to the playoffs.
D’Aigle, 19, is wrapping up what will likely be his fourth and final junior season with Victoriaville, although he could return next season as an overage player. That’s a rare path, though, and he’s more likely to begin his pro career with the Penguins organization next season, probably in the ECHL. A third-round pick in 2025, Pittsburgh had until next summer to sign him, but elects to do so now. His November birthday is early for his draft class and allowed him to get an extra season of CHL seasoning, so he’s considered an age-20 player next season in the junior league’s eyes and can turn pro without any restrictions.
The Quebec native was once viewed as arguably the top goaltending talent in his class. Coming in at 6’4″ and 212 lbs, he made Canada’s under-18 World Juniors roster as a double-underager in 2023, a team loaded with NHL talent like Macklin Celebrini, Matthew Wood, and Calum Ritchie. His stock was perpetually downhill from there, though. The QMJHL isn’t exactly a goalie/defense-friendly league, but even still, his numbers came in below average. He had just a .879 SV% in 25 games in 2023-24, and had a .883 SV% and a glaring 4.52 GAA in 55 outings as Victoriaville’s starter last season.
The Pens still saw some technical ceiling in D’Aigle’s game through that statistical noise, though, and made him the eighth goaltender off the board in last year’s draft. It looks like that may have been the right call. D’Aigle’s numbers have spiked here in 2025-26 behind a shoddy Victoriaville club, recording a .908 SV% and 3.58 GAA in 39 games with a 14-21-3 record. That save percentage is eighth in the league (min. 30 GP).
D’Aigle is Pittsburgh’s clear-cut #3 goalie prospect behind Sergey Murashov and Joel Blomqvist, though. Even if one of those two (likely Murashov) earns an NHL promotion next season if pending UFA Stuart Skinner departs, it’s rare to rush a young goalie drafted outside of the first round or two straight from juniors to an AHL role. Even top prospects coming out of juniors compared to NCAA or Europe – the Red Wings’ Sebastian Cossa is a recent example – get a year of ECHL seasoning to adjust to pro competition before landing an AHL role. D’Aigle won’t grade out any higher than #5 on Pittsburgh’s goaltending depth chart to start next season as a result.
Jake Guentzel Is One Of The Best UFA Signings Of This Era
Building a team through free agency is rarely a recipe for success in the NHL. Just ask the Predators, who are only two years removed from “winning” the 2024 UFA sweepstakes but have yet to see any on-ice success from their spending spree (Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei, and Jonathan Marchessault).
However, some teams do find success in the free agent market by acquiring players on the fringes. Last summer is a good example, as the Penguins struck gold by signing Justin Brazeau and Parker Wotherspoon to two-year contracts that have given them some of the best value in the NHL.
All of that being said, it’s rare to see a high-end UFA sign for big money and provide substantial extra value on their long-term deal, which is why the Lightning’s Jake Guentzel stands out as one of the best free agent signings of the last 10-15 years.
When Guentzel signed his seven-year, $63MM contract, he was brought to Tampa Bay to step into the lineup for former captain and long-time star Stamkos. Those were big shoes to fill, as Stamkos was a first-overall pick who had captained Tampa Bay to multiple Cups and was beloved by the city and the organization.
But the Lightning saw an opportunity to get younger and refresh the top of their lineup. It’s paid off in spades. However, it didn’t come without significant risk.
No one knew whether Guentzel would thrive outside of Pittsburgh after spending the first eight seasons of his NHL career with the Penguins, skating alongside Sidney Crosby on the top line. Many believed that Guentzel might have been a product of playing with Crosby and not a player who could excel elsewhere.
Since being traded by Pittsburgh in March 2024, all Guentzel has done is improve his impressive offensive numbers. In 503 games with the Penguins, Guentzel scored 219 goals and 247 assists, averaging 0.93 points per game. However, since the trade, Guentzel has tallied 78 goals and 97 assists in 163 games, averaging 1.07 points per game. While the increase is slight, it is still surprising — and quite welcome for the Lightning.
This season, the 31-year-old has 29 goals and 41 assists in 66 games and is on track for his third 80-point season. If he achieves that, it will mark the seventh time in eight seasons that he has surpassed a point-per-game, a remarkable streak of consistency for a player whose on-ice ability is often questioned.
Guentzel isn’t the flashiest player, nor is he the biggest or fastest. But he has a high hockey IQ and a rare ability to anticipate plays. That’s what made him the best player Crosby has ever played with long-term (an argument can be made that Marián Hossa was the best winger Crosby ever had), and it’s why he’s fit in with Tampa Bay so seamlessly.
There have been other UFA success stories over the past twenty years. Artemi Panarin had an outstanding run with the New York Rangers; the previously mentioned Hossa in Chicago won three Stanley Cups and played a key role in all of them, while Joe Pavelski left San Jose for the Dallas Stars and was a major contributor to their success from 2019 to 2024.
An argument could be made that John Tavares‘ signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018 was also a success, and in a vacuum, that is probably true. Tavares signed a seven-year, $77MM contract on the first day of free agency in 2018, and the deal itself worked out well for both Tavares and the Maple Leafs, as he remained an important contributor throughout the term and is currently playing on a bargain extension he signed last year. While Matthews was the captain of Toronto and a key piece of one of their better eras of regular-season success, the Maple Leafs had almost no playoff success, and the acquisition of Tavares led to one of the worst trades in recent memory.
Without Tavares signing, the Maple Leafs likely wouldn’t have traded Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche, a move that eventually helped Colorado win a Stanley Cup and left the Maple Leafs with a significant gap down the middle of the ice. In theory, the trade made sense; Kadri was destined to be a third-line center, and Toronto believed it was best to swap him for defensive help in Tyson Barrie and another center in Alexander Kerfoot. The move didn’t work out and ultimately contributed to Toronto’s decline.
And that parallel from Toronto highlights how impressive Guentzel’s run in Tampa Bay really is. He was brought in to replace arguably the best player in franchise history, and all Guentzel has done is put up better numbers than ever before in his career. There are still five years remaining on his contract, so it’s not guaranteed that Guentzel’s deal won’t become a problem later on, but for now, it’s one of the best UFA signings in recent memory.
Blackhawks Notes: Injuries, Lardis, Boisvert
The Blackhawks were without a pair of players for their game tonight against Colorado. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link) that winger Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Louis Crevier were both injured on Thursday in Minnesota. There’s no word on how much time either player might miss. Mangiapane has a goal and an assist in seven games since coming over in a trade from Edmonton earlier this month while Crevier has held his own as a full-time NHLer this season. He has 17 points in 66 games along with 73 blocks and 107 hits while averaging a little under 17 minutes of ice time per night.
More from Chicago:
- When Chicago recalled winger Nick Lardis after the trade deadline, it looked like he was in line to get an extended look down the stretch. However, he has averaged just 10:33 per game of ice time since the promotion. That led Pope to question how the team has used the 20-year-old. While Blashill has talked about trying to see how Lardis fares in a more limited role to give him a better opportunity to establish himself in the NHL, the youngster has averaged just shy of a point per game in the minors this season and could use a boost in their top six. Giving him a chance in that role could have longer-term benefits than showing that he can handle a fourth-line role if needed.
- Prospect Sacha Boisvert’s NHL debut will have to wait a little longer. Scott Powers of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that the 20-year-old’s visa paperwork has yet to be processed. Accordingly, it’s more likely that he debuts next week on Chicago’s road trip. Boisvert, a first-round pick in 2024, recently signed his entry-level contract and is burning the first year of that down the stretch. He won’t play enough to accrue a year of service time toward UFA eligibility and if he doesn’t play in at least 10 games down the stretch, Boisvert wouldn’t be eligible for an offer sheet in 2028.
Trent Frederic Out Indefinitely
It has been a rough few weeks on the injury front for the Oilers, particularly up front. Within the last few weeks, Mattias Janmark, Curtis Lazar, Colton Dach, and Leon Draisaitl have all landed on LTIR, with Janmark being done for the season.
Now, another forward can be added to the injury list. Speaking after practice today, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters including Sportsnet’s Gene Principe (Twitter link) that winger Trent Frederic is dealing with an injury with no timeline for his return.
The injury was sustained on Thursday against Florida late in the second period while forechecking. He was able to get up and finish the shift but didn’t return to the game for the third.
This is Frederic’s first full season with Edmonton and to say he has underwhelmed would certainly be fair. Signed to an eight-year contract worth $3.85MM per season back in June, the 28-year-old has struggled offensively. Through 67 games this season, he has just four goals and two assists in a little under 11 minutes a night of playing time. However, he does sit second on the team in hits with 170, only behind winger Vasily Podkolzin.
The next man up approach has been used a lot lately thanks to these injuries and the one who will get the next opportunity is winger Roby Jarventie, recalled into the cap space opened up by Draisaitl’s LTIR placement. It will be Jarventie’s first NHL action since November 2023.
In the meantime, Edmonton has more than ample cap space to bring yet another forward up from AHL Bakersfield. However, given that they still have 12 healthy forwards on the roster, they won’t be in a position to utilize an emergency recall. Accordingly, any forward that comes up from the Condors would count against their post-deadline limit of five. If the Oilers want to keep some flexibility on that front for later in the year or into the playoffs should they qualify, they might elect not to bring up a replacement for Frederic right away.
Atlantic Notes: Stecher, Panthers, Reinbacher
It has been a rough stretch lately for the Maple Leafs, who have gone from a bubble team within striking distance of a Wild Card spot to one that is jockeying for seeding in the draft lottery. However, while some veterans may be hoping to move on after the season, blueliner Troy Stecher isn’t one of them. Speaking to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, the pending UFA made it clear that he’s hoping to re-sign with Toronto for next season. Claimed off waivers from Edmonton back in November, Stecher is averaging just shy of 20 minutes per game since then, providing the Maple Leafs with a nice return on a deal that sits just above the minimum salary. Given how he has played in Toronto, Stecher could be in line to double his current AAV of $787.5K on the open market this summer should he get there.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- The Panthers were without a pair of forwards as they continued their road trip in Calgary. Team reporter Jameson Olive relayed (Twitter link) that center Anton Lundell and winger Mackie Samoskevich were both banged up on Thursday in Edmonton and are listed as day-to-day. Lundell sits just one point shy of matching his career high in points (45) set last season so as long as Florida doesn’t hold him out too long, he should have a chance to set a new personal best. As for Samoskevich, his second full NHL season has been fairly quiet as he has just six goals and 17 assists in 66 contests, not an ideal platform season heading into restricted free agency this summer with arbitration eligibility for the first time.
- Earlier this week, Quartexx Hockey announced (Twitter link) that they have signed Canadiens prospect David Reinbacher as a client. The blueliner was the fifth overall pick back in 2023 and is still looking to make his NHL debut. Previously represented by Maloney & Thompson Sports Management, the 21-year-old has 23 points in 49 games with AHL Laval this season. The move isn’t in anticipation of contract talks as Reinbacher still has two years left on his entry-level contract after this one.
Canucks Sign Victor Mancini To Two-Year Extension
The Vancouver Canucks are getting more work done early with one of their pending restricted free agents. Vancouver announced that they’ve signed defenseman Victor Mancini to a two-year, $2MM extension.
It’s a fairly straightforward extension since Mancini wasn’t eligible for much of anything extra in his next deal. PuckPedia shared that the 23-year-old blueliner will earn a $905K salary during the 2026-27 season, and a $1.05MM salary in the 2027-28 campaign.
The Hancock, MI native is in his first full season with the Canucks since being acquired from the New York Rangers last year in the trade that sent J.T. Miller back to the Big Apple. He was drafted 159th overall by the Rangers in the 2022 NHL Draft and made his debut on October 9, 2024.
He got off to a solid start to his NHL career. By the end of October last season, Mancini had scored one goal and four points in eight games with a +4 rating, averaging 16:37 of ice time per game.
Unfortunately, not much has gone right since. In Mancini’s next 41 games, split between the Rangers and Canucks, he has scored one goal and four points with a -23 rating.
Still, that’s not the entire picture. Even in limited ice time, Mancini has managed a respectable 90.9% on-ice SV% at even strength. He has also performed well with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate this season, scoring four goals and 12 points in 33 games with the Abbotsford Canucks with a +1 rating.
Given the ongoing rebuild in Vancouver and the $1MM AAV on his new deal, it’s more than likely Mancini will open the 2026-27 campaign with the Canucks. This summer, Vancouver is expected to re-sign Derek Forbort or Pierre-Olivier Joseph, giving Mancini a pathway to the bottom-pairing unless the Canucks make another addition.