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Blackhawks’ Artyom Levshunov Recalled, Expected To Make NHL Debut

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The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled top prospect Artyom Levshunov to the NHL roster. This marks the second call-up of the 2024 second-overall pick’s young career. He is expected to immediately step into the Hawks lineup, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Levshunov’s last call-up came on February 3rd, in the days leading up to Chicago’s two-week break for the 4-Nations Face-Off. He stuck around the NHL roster for two days worth of practices, but was returned to the minor leagues before he had a chance to break into the Blackhawks lineup. Levshunov has nine points in 12 AHL games since being reassigned – a major uptick on his 13 points in 38 games prior. With 22 points in 50 games across the full season, Levshunov ranks ninth among AHL rookie defensemen in scoring.

The Blackhawks controversially opted for Levshunov’s stout defense over the dynamic scoring of winger Ivan Demidov and the physical presence of center Cayden Lindstrom with their top pick in last year’s draft. The decision came after Levshunov fought his way into the role of number-one defenseman for the Big Ten’s Michigan State University, after transferring from the USHL to college hockey late into the 2023 summer. The quick move was just one year after Levshunov moved from Belarus’ juniors league to the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. He adjusted quickly to both junior hockey and collegiate hockey – and now seems to be bringing along his scoring at a pro level too.

Chicago will get a chance to bank on Levshunov’s hot streak with this recall. The Blackhawks have a glaring hole on right-defense after trading star defender Seth Jones ahead of the Trade Deadline. Jones’ minutes have been filled by Louis Crevier and Connor Murphy in the immediate wake of the deal, but have allowed an average of 37 shots-against in their four games since the Jones trade. That’s a ton of pressure for new acquisition Spencer Knight in net, and while he’s handled it well – finding a way to stop up the barrage of shots will be a top priority for Chicago’s remaining season. The stout two-way play of Levshunov could be exactly what Chicago needs, and gives the Blackhawks an even better chance to lean into their future amidst a punted season.

Minor Transactions: 3/8/25

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The NHL Trade Deadline has finally passed, pulling teams into the late stages of their seasons. The transaction wire has stayed hot as teams continue to sort out their lineups for the remainder of the year. As always, Pro Hockey Rumors will track the minor moves here:

  • The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned goaltender Ville Husso to the AHL. Husso was recalled to be Anaheim’s third-string goalie behind Lukas Dostal and John Gibson on Friday, after news that Gibson had suffered a day-to-day, lower-body injury. Husso has played in three games with the San Diego Gulls since joining Anaheim’s system. He won the first with a 34-save shutout, but split his last two while allowing 10 goals on 59 shots. With this move, Husso will look to build on his 2-1-0 record and .892 save percentage with the Gulls.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have reassigned defenseman Jack St. Ivany. Pittsburgh recalled St. Ivany under emergency conditions and used him as a healthy scratch in Friday’s game against Vegas. He has been a fixture of the minor leagues since November, netting six points, eight penalty minutes, and a minus-two in 21 games. Before that, St. Ivany appeared in 19 NHL games and recorded one assist, 17 penalty minutes, and a minus-three. He could find a tougher time earning another call-up, after Pittsburgh acquired longtime Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins at the deadline. Timmins has eight points in 51 NHL games this season.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have swapped emergency netminders, assigning Arturs Silovs to the minor leagues and utilizing an emergency recall on Nikita Tolopilo. Silovs played in two NHL games in late February. He lost them both while allowing six goals on 56 shots. He’ll return to the minors sporting a dismal .858 save percentage and 1-6-1 record at the NHL level. He’s been far more productive in the AHL, where he has a .906 Sv% and 10-4-0 record. Meanwhile Tolopilo could be in store for his NHL debut after posting a .890 Sv% and 12-14-2 record as the AHL starter in Silovs’ absence. Tolopilo is in just his second season of North American pros after two years in the HockeyAllsvenskan. He posted a .912 Sv% and 39-38-0 record across 79 games in Sweden’s second-tier league.
  • Defenseman Calen Addison has been traded from the Henderson Silver Knights to the Springfield Thunderbirds in exchange for future considerations. Addison played in 49 games and recorded 33 points, 55 penalty minutes, and a minus-24 with Henderson. He is expected to initially report to Springfield’s ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades. Addison was once a second-round pick in the NHL Draft and managed a single-season high of 29 points across four NHL seasons. His career totals at the top level stand as 50 points and 96 penalty minutes in 152 games.

Hurricanes, Leafs Couldn’t Agree On Swap Of Mikko Rantanen And Mitch Marner

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The fallout from the Trade Deadline is starting to settle, revealing more about the Carolina Hurricanes attempt to flip star winger Mikko Rantanen. The Dallas Stars ultimately won the sweepstakes, landing Rantanen and an eight-year extension in exchange for top young forward Logan Stankoven, two first round picks, and two third round picks. But Carolina had multiple other fish on the line, including getting well down the path to send Rantanen to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The deal ultimately fell apart because Toronto wasn’t willing to send winger Mitch Marner back the other way, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Like Rantanen before he signed in Dallas, Marner is a pending free agent who’s likely to demand a serious payday when he hits the open market. But Marner wasn’t willing to discuss an extension mid-season, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic. A long-term commitment was a prerequisite for the Hurricanes, leading to Toronto’s big splash falling to land. Johnston adds that the deal officially fell apart when Marner refused to waive his full no-movement clause.

Without Marner involved, Toronto’s final offer is said to have been top prospects Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan, and two first round picks per Nick Kypreos on Sportsnet 590. When that package was turned down, Toronto opted to instead send Minten, a first-round pick, and a fourth-round to the Boston Bruins for top defenseman Brandon Carlo. Carlo is under contract through the 2026-27 season at a manageable $3.625MM cap hit, after Boston retained 15 percent in the trade.

The implications of this deal would have been transformative. Marner has been deeply engrained on Toronto’s top line since making his NHL debut in 2016-17. He scored 61 points in 77 games as a rookie, and two seasons later scratched the century mark with 94 points in 82 games. Injuries and a shortened season held Marner to just 67 points in the next two seasons, but he found new heights when the NHL returned to full after the pandemic. Marner scored 35 goals and 97 points in 2021-22 and topped it with 99 points in 2022-23. Two years later, he’s on pace to confidently clear the 100-point mark this season, with 77 points in 61 games so far.

Marner would have certainly matched with Carolina’s top-end. He plays a high-skill, downhill style that could have fit well between the aggressive forechecking of Seth Jarvis and poised playmaking of Sebastian Aho. Instead, Carolina lands 22-year-old Stankoven to fill that role, after the latter scored 29 points in 59 games with Dallas. Stankoven brings a wave of hard-working grit and future stability to a Hurricanes program that’s earned a confident playoff spot in each of the last six seasons.

Through the thick of what could have been, Marner has doubled down on his commitment to the Leafs with this news. Presented with a chance for a short-term trip to Carolina before entering free agency, Marner has instead decided to hold true to the blue-and-white. He is set to enter unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career this summer, and has emphasized his desire to save contract talks for after the season. With plenty of time before Toronto plays their last games, Leafs fans can stand by this bode of confidence as an indication that Marner could be looking to stick around for even longer.

Hurricanes Recall Scott Morrow, Reassign Riley Stillman

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The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled top defense prospect Scott Morrow and reassigned defenseman Riley Stillman. Stillman will head to the AHL sporting a minor injury after taking a skate to the face in his first shift of Thursday night’s game. He received stitches on the inside of his mouth but continues to practice per Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal.

This move returns Morrow to the NHL after a recent hot streak in the minors. He has 10 points in 10 games since Carolina reassigned him on February 8th. Morrow is now up to 39 points in 51 AHL games, the third-most of any rookie defender in the AHL behind San Jose’s Luca Cagnoni and Anaheim’s Tristan Luneau who each have 42 points. Despite that hot scoring, Morrow hasn’t yet found his way onto an NHL scoresheet. He has no scoring and a minus-four through four career games in the NHL, with the appearances split evenly between last year and this year.

Morrow’s spot in the lineup on Sunday will depend on the availability of Dmitry Orlov, who missed Thursday’s game with a minor injury. Orlov returned to Carolina’s Saturday morning practice in full per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. He seems good to go, but Morrow will be the quick fill-in should the Hurricanes need an extra hand.

This move also returns Stillman to the minor leagues for the second time in two days. Carolina successfully waived Stillman and assigned him to the minor leagues on Friday, but he was brought back to the NHL roster before Saturday’s practice. But it seems that was only for the extra skate, and Stillman will head back to the Chicago Wolves to build on his five points, 41 penalty minutes, and minus-three in 20 games. Stillman has also stepped into three NHL games this season, setting no scoring, five penalty minutes, and a minus-one.

Avalanche Sign Wyatt Aamodt To Two-Year Extension

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The Colorado Avalanche have followed their Trade Deadline festivities by signing depth defenseman Wyatt Aamodt to a two-year, two-way contract extension. The deal will carry a league-minimum $775K salary at the NHL level.

Colorado signed Aamodt as an undrafted free agent following the end of his 2021-22 season with Minnesota State University-Mankato, where he totaled 29 points in 123 career games. Aamodt played through his rookie AHL season in 2022-23 and recorded 18 points, 39 penalty minutes, and a plus-five in 52 games. He’s seen a slight dip in scoring in both seasons since then, netting 14 points in 60 games last year and 13 points in 51 games this year. But he’s noticeably improved his ability to defend away from the puck, ramping up to a plus-32 and top-four role on the Colorado Eagles this season.

Aamodt is now 27 years old and projects as a career minor league option with a physical boost, thanks to his six-foot, 200-pound frame. His new contract extension will see to that status for the next two years, while guaranteeing him $275K in salary over the first year of the deal. He’ll continue to serve as the fourth man on a blue-line headlined by Jacob MacDonald, Jack Ahcan, and Calle Rosen.

Sharks Sign Gabriel Carriere To One-Year, Two-Way Contract

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The San Jose Sharks have signed depth goaltender Gabriel Carriere to a one-year, two-way contract. Carriere was moved from the ECHL to the AHL in mid-February after splitting time between the rosters for much of the year.

Carriere is playing through his first full professional season this year, after playing in his AHL debut at the end of last year. He was previously the starter at the University of Vermont for the last three seasons, where he combined for a commendable .908 save percentage and 28-50-8 record. The AHL’s San Jose Barracuda awarded the undrafted Carriere with his first professional contract at the end of Vermont’s 2023-24 campaign, and assigned him to the ECHL at the start of this season. Carriere has made good work of his first full pro season, posting a 14-9-2 record and .922 Sv% through 25 ECHL games. He ranks eighth in the league in save percentage.

That hot start has earned Carriere a handful of AHL games throughout the season. He managed a .900 save percentage through his first four AHL games of the year, just enough to earn a hardier look when the Barracuda needed more support in February. He has played in six of the Barracuda’s last eight games, posting a .906 save percentage and 3-4-1 record. While his record still needs to come along, the Sharks have taken the step to validate Carriere’s improving performances – awarding him with the first two-way NHL contract of his career. The 24-year-old netminder should continue to rival Georgi Romanov and Aaron Dell for the AHL backup role behind top Sharks prospect Yaroslav Askarov.

Avalanche Acquire Brock Nelson From Islanders

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The Colorado Avalanche have acquired forward Brock Nelson and AHL winger William Dufour from the New York Islanders. In return, the Islanders have received top prospect Calum Ritchie, a conditional 2026 or 2027 first-round pick, a conditional 2028 third-round pick, and depth defenseman Oliver Kylington. New York has retained half of Nelson’s $6MM cap hit, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The deal was first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

In a corresponding move, the Islanders have sent Kylington to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for future considerations. Nelson’s retained $3MM cap hit will take Colorado up to the cap ceiling. Moving Kylington opens $1.05MM in cap space for the Avalanche. The Islanders opt to flip the defender rather than add to their heap of recent blue-line additions, including Scott Perunovich and Adam Boqvist.

The Avalanche have landed a big fish on the eve of the Trade Deadline. Nelson has been with the Islanders for all 12 years of his career and continues to stand as a pillar of the lineup through this season. He was tied for the Islanders scoring lead this season, with 20 goals and 43 points in 61 games. Nelson also made Team USA’s 4-Nations Face-Off roster, though he didn’t post any scoring in four games. The Islanders were said to be working on finding an extension for Nelson up until the final moments. Instead, they opt to send him across the league in a deal that will likely price Colorado out of any further deadline moves. The Avalanche will carry just $1.337MM in cap space after this move, per PuckPedia.

New York originally drafted Nelson 30th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. He played through his first pro season two years later and instantly stood apart from the rest. Nelson led the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in scoring with 52 points in 66 games as an AHL rookie. He followed that standout performance by carving out an NHL role in the 2013-14 season, stamped by 14 goals and 26 points in 72 games. With his feet under him, Nelson broke out with 42 points in his sophomore year – and quickly became one of the league’s most consistent and reliable second-line forwards. He played in 81 or 82 games in all five season between 2014 and 2019 – rivaling 20 goals and 40 points in every season.

It was Nelson who succeeded star John Tavares’ role as the Islanders’ top-line center after the latter left ahead of the 2018-19 season. Nelson’s scoring has only grown since he took over the top-line role. He scored 53 and 54 points in 2018-19 and 2019-20. The shortened 2020-21 season slowed him down a bit – with 33 points in 56 games, or an 82-game pace of 48 points. But Nelson has made up for the slump by finding an extra gear over the last four seasons. He scored a career-high 37 goals and 59 points in 72 games of the 2021-22 season. That was followed with 36 goals and a career-high 75 points in 2022-23. And he stayed at his new standard with 34 goals and 69 points last year.

Nelson has hit his stride as he enters his mid-30s. He’s on pace for 26 goals and 58 points this season, and should only find a greater boost in what’s sure to be a top-six role with the Avalanche. Colorado ranks eighth in the league with a 3.24 goals-per-game average. Their second line is flanked by Valeri Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin on the wings, who should support Nelson’s slowing style well. Nelson will likely step ahead of Casey Mittelstadt in the lineup, bumping Mittelstadt to the third-line after scoring 11 goals and 34 points in 62 games this season. That’s exactly the depth Colorado will need to push for another long run in what’s shaping up to be a tough postseason.

Joining Nelson in the move to Colorado is AHL winger William Dufour. Dufour has 18 points in 45 games with Bridgeport this season – continuing his gradual decline in scoring since his rookie AHL season. Dufour broke into the minors in the 2022-23 season and scored a hot 21 goals and 48 points in 69 games. That scoring earned him his NHL debut, though he didn’t manage any scoring. Dufour fell to 15 goals and 25 points last year, and is now on pace for just 22 points this year.

Meanwhile, the Islanders will land a heap in return. Calum Ritchie was confidently Colorado’s top prospect and made the NHL roster out of training camp at the start of this season. He scored one goal in seven games to start the season, but was returned to the OHL before Colorado burned a full year of his contract. He’s been fantastic ever since, with 14 goals and 67 points in 41 games as the Oshawa Generals captain. Colorado drafted Ritchie with the 27th-overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, after he posted 59 points in 59 OHL games in his draft year. He followed it with a confident 80 points last year, and is on narrow pace to beat that total this year.

Ritchie could enter the Islanders system with a very clear path towards NHL minutes as soon as he’s ready. Nelson’s departure opens nearly 19 minutes of nightly ice time. The Islanders can distribute that between Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Casey Cizikas, and Kyle MacLean through the end of the regular season, but they’ll need a much hardier depth option to stay competitive next year. Ritchie could be exactly that, after getting a taste of the NHL next to stars like Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar earlier this year. Ritchie has sturdy size at six-foot-three and 190-pounds – and he had a few flashes of upside in his brief NHL minutes. A clear opportunity could be exactly the set up he needs to work towards a strong pro breakout.

If not, the Islanders will be able to lean on a first-round selection in either the 2026 or 2027 drafts. Both classes are expected to be strong through the first round, headlined by seemingly generational talents Gavin McKenna and Landon DuPont respectively, each backed by their own string of other strong prospects. It could prove lucrative holding Colorado’s future draft capital, as they age up significantly with this Nelson deal. It’s clear the Avalanche are pushing for competition this year Nelson will fill the strong top-six role Colorado is looking for, while New York makes a clear and confident bet towards their future.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Rangers Showing Interest In Sabres’ J.J. Peterka

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The Buffalo Sabres aren’t expected to be much of a focus at this year’s Trade Deadline, but one young star has seen his name circulate around rumors. Now, the New York Rangers are joining in on the race for top-line Sabres winger JJ Peterka per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. The report of New York’s interest was seconded by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, but downplayed by Arthur Staple of The Athletic, painting an enticing picture headed into Friday’s Trade Deadline.

Lysowski adds that New York’s assistant coach, Michael Peca, worked closely with Peterka during the winger’s only year in the minor leagues. Peterka scored a team-leading 28 goals and 68 points in 70 AHL games under the guidance of Peca and then-head coach Seth Appert.

The likelihood of Peterka moving at the deadline seems slim-to-none. The 23-year-old has turned into a perennial star for the Sabres, fighting his way onto the top line at the end of last season and vindicating it with a fantastic performance this year. He has 18 goals and 49 points in 58 games – the third-most scoring on the Sabres behind Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. Peterka is on an 82-game pace of 69 points, which would blow his career-high 50 points set last season out of the water. He’s also on pace for 25 goals this season, which wouldn’t quite top his 28 goals last year but nonetheless shows his knack for finding the back of the net.

Peterka has totaled 58 goals and 131 points in 219 career games since making his NHL debut in the 2021-22 season. He not only seems like a cornerstone of the Sabres lineup for years to come – but also stands as the team’s best draft steal in recent memory. Buffalo drafted Peterka with the 34th-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, coupling him with Jack Quinn as the team’s breakaway stars from that class. Peterka has since played in the most NHL games, scored the most goals, and recorded the most points of anyone drafted outside of that year’s first round.

Suffice it to say, a trade for Peterka would need to be exorbitant. The Sabres are in the midst of a 13-season playoff drought – a cold streak that paces all North American major men’s sports leagues. Peterka has been a piece that’s sparked the offense in the midst of that drought, though the team is still floundering despite their young winger’s success. Lysowski added that Buffalo will want NHL players back for any moves they make, which could be the hang-up that pushes any deal involving Peterka to the off-season at least.

New York may be able to swing a deal by offering up forward Alexis Lafreniere, who went first-overall in Peterka’s draft year but has struggled to find the same hot start to his career. Lafreniere has 14 goals and 35 points in 62 games this season, and set his career-highs in scoring with 28 goals and 57 points last year. The Rangers would likely have to add more to balance the equation, even despite Lafreniere’s draft pedigree, which could pull players like K’Andre Miller or Braden Schneider into the fold. Schneider could be particularly enticing, offering a right-shot that Buffalo sorely needs. Even then, it seems draft capital may be in order to land a top young player who has only grown more from season to season.

The Rangers have shown no shyness in making big moves this season. Since the start of the year, they’ve parted ways with Filip Chytil, Ryan Lindgren, Jacob Trouba, Jimmy Vesey, and Victor Mancini. They’ve managed that overall without losing too many future assets – save for the young Mancini – which could set up more fire sale options. The Rangers added Brendan Brisson to a scant prospect pool on Thursday. He’ll join Brennan Othmann, Brett Berard, Adam Sykora, and Lucas Edmonds as the team’s top prospects in the AHL. All options are wingers with bottom-six upside at least, creating a bit of a logjam in the Rangers pipeline. Acquiring Peterka – maybe on the back of one of these prospects – surely wouldn’t solve that logjam, but it would give New York a major upgrade over their promising-but-long-drawn options right now.

Injury Notes: Orlov, Stillman, Mazur, Quinn

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The Carolina Hurricanes announced in the minutes leading up to Thursday night’s game that top-four defenseman Dmitry Orlov would sit out with a day-to-day injury. His last-minute absence forced defenseman Riley Stillman, Carolina’s only extra skater, into the lineup. Stillman was placed on waivers earlier in the day with the intention of being assigned to the minor leagues.

Stillman suffered an injury of his own partway through the game after taking the skate of Boston Bruins forward John Beecher to the face. Stillman headed immediately down the tunnel. He was ruled out for the rest of Thursday night’s game per Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer, but no further updates were provided.

Orlov’s absence leaves a sizeable hole on the Hurricanes’ blue-line. He ranks second among the team’s defenders with 24 points in 62 games. Orlov also averages the third-most ice time on the team, with 19:42 putting him just a couple of minutes behind the top pair of Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns. Orlov is also Carolina’s second-most-used defenseman on the penalty-kill behind Burns. The Hurricanes will be forced to fill all of his roles in the short term and will need to make a roster move to do so, with Stillman likely out. Top prospect Scott Morrow – the points leader among Chicago Wolves defenseman (39 points) – will be the most likely candidate for a call-up.

More injury notes around the league:

  • Detroit Red Wings rookie Carter Mazur went down the tunnel just one minute into his NHL debut, after awkwardly bumping into Utah Hockey Club forward Jack McBain. His injury was listed as upper-body in a formal statement from the team. No indication of Mazur’s timeline has been provided. The news brings an unfortunate end to what was a dream night for the Michigan-native. Mazur has scored 15 points in 20 AHL games this year and looked set to land fourth-line minutes after the departure of Andrew Copp to injury and Christian Fischer to waivers. But Detroit may need to go searching for a new fill-in, which could define their Trade Deadline approach with less than a day left.
  • Top Buffalo Sabres winger Jack Quinn left the team’s Thursday night game midway through the first period due to illness. No further details were disclosed. Quinn skated for four shifts and 2:25 in ice time before exiting. He leaves a notable hole behind him after recording three points in his last five games. That scoring streak has brought Quinn to 10 goals and 24 points in 53 games this season. Buffalo isn’t currently carrying any extra forwards, with Jason Zucker out with a “frustrating” injury per Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic. That could prompt Buffalo to make a roster move, or shop for a depth forward on the open market – should Quinn need to miss additional time with his illness.

Trade Deadline Notes: Marchand, Leafs, Nelson, Devils

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The Trade Deadline is mere hours away, and despite a quiet build up, multiple major headlines have started to boil to the surface – all captured by TSN’s latest Insider Trading. The deadline could be headlined by the Boston Bruins parting ways with team captain Brad Marchand, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic during the Insider Trading segment.

A Marchand trade would be era-defining for the Bruins. He has been in Boston for the entirety of his 16-year, 1,090-game NHL career. Cracking franchise record books is a tough feat on an Original Six club but Marchand nonetheless ranks fourth in Boston history in career goals (422), games played (1,090), and penalty minutes (1,113). He also ranks fifth on Boston’s all-time points leaderboard.

Nearly two decades after his first introduction to the team, Marchand now stands as Boston’s last connection to days past. Where Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask, and David Krejci have retired – Marchand has continued on. He took on the Bruins captaincy last season and has continued strong production into his age-36 season. Marchand ranks second on the Bruins with 21 goals and 47 points in 61 games this season – only behind David Pastrnak’s dazzling 32 goals and 77 points. Getting Boston to part ways with their captain, their rink rat, and their second-ranked scorer would take a monumental effort, but the right mix of future structure could convince the middling Bruins. Marchand has emphasized his preference to stay in Boston.

More from TSN’s Insider Trading:

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will continue to seek out centermen and defensemen on the trade market per TSN’s Darren Dreger. They’re exploring multiple options, including Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen and St. Louis’ Brayden Schenn. Both players are entering the golden years of their careers. Schenn is in his age-33 season. He’s captained the Blues since Ryan O’Reilly left in 2023. Like fellow captain Marchand, Schenn has held to his typical style in recent years. He has 12 goals and 38 points in 63 games this season, while offering stout two-way play and a 50.3 percent faceoff win-rate. Ristolainen, 30, has seen his scoring dwindle as he’s entered his 30s. He has just 19 points in 59 games this season, but does boast a plus-five – the first positive plus-minus of his 12-year NHL career. He’s rounded out his defense and offers a hardy physical presence. On a Leafs team looking for the additions to match big moves by the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, either veteran could bring impactful depth.
  • The New York Islanders will likely wait until the last minute before they make a decision on extending or trading veteran forward Brock Nelson, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Buzz around Nelson’s deadline availability has ebbed and flowed over the last few months, mixed between reports of total availability and looming extension. The 33-year-old Nelson has 20 goals and 43 points in 61 games this season. He’s one of three players, alongside Anders Lee and Bo Horvat, tied for New York’s lead in scoring. Nelson is set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer and carries a 16-team no-trade clause, which will limit the places the career-Islander is able to go. The New Jersey Devils are among interested teams as they look to bank on accrued cap space after Jack Hughes’ season-ending injury.

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