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Golden Knights Recall Brendan Brisson

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The Golden Knights have brought Brendan Brisson back to the NHL roster, per a team announcement. His recall comes under emergency conditions after head coach Bruce Cassidy announced Tomáš Hertl won’t be ready to make his Vegas debut against the Coyotes tomorrow and said they’ll likely be without Nicolas Roy due to an undisclosed injury. Summoning Brisson guarantees them 12 healthy forwards in Arizona.

Brisson, 22, joins the Vegas roster for the first time since he was assigned to Henderson on March 13. The 2020 first-round pick has played in 13 games this season after making his NHL debut in January, doing quite well with two goals and seven points in limited ice time. A natural center, Brisson has mostly played wing throughout his first major-league stint, and he’ll likely do so again on a line with Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar if his services are needed tomorrow.

The Los Angeles native’s possession game has also been better than his -4 rating suggests. He’s recorded a 48.9 CF% and 50.0 xGF% at even strength, not jaw-dropping by any stretch but still better than the majority of his teammates when in the lineup. His positive impact on shot attempts has been strong in particular, as Vegas’ CF% with him on the ice is 4% better than without him across his limited run of play. He’s most frequently suited up alongside William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault, skating over 43 minutes with them across six games, but has also logged significant time on lines with Karlsson and Michael Amadio as well as Howden and Paul Cotter.

Vegas has space to absorb Brisson’s $925K cap hit without making any corresponding moves, but only because Hertl remains on LTIR for the time being. When he’s ready to go, likely now for Monday’s game in Vancouver, they’ll need to assign two contracts to Henderson to activate him. As such, Brisson’s stay in the majors will be brief.

Brisson’s decent initial showing makes him a candidate to crack the Golden Knight’s opening night roster in 2024-25, especially considering he’s also done well on a poor Henderson team with 16 goals and 36 points in 50 games. His ELC remains valid for next season, after which he’ll be an RFA.

Coyotes Gauging Interest In Potential Buyers

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According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo has contacted multiple parties, including groups inside and outside the state, to gauge their interest in buying the franchise. He’s seeking an asking price of $1B, $50MM more than the Senators sold for when Michael Andlauer purchased the club last summer.

Gambadoro notes that the Coyotes have recently met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to update him on their current bid to remain in Arizona, which revolves around winning an auction for a plot of land on the city’s north side. When approached for comment by Gambadoro, the Coyotes said, “Mr. Meruelo and the team are solely focused on the land auction and winning the bid. And to keep the Coyotes in Arizona.”

The lack of a suitable arena has plagued the Coyotes’ long-term future ever since the city of Glendale, which oversaw their previous full-time home, Gila River Arena, opted not to renew their operating agreement in the 2021 offseason due to large debts the club owed to the city. Meruelo struck a deal with Arizona State University to share the brand-new 4,600-seat Mullett Arena through at least the 2024-25 season, heading to the Phoenix suburb of Tempe after the club submitted a bid to build an arena and surrounding entertainment district in the city. However, a public referendum of Tempe voters in May 2023 failed to greenlight the project, sending Arizona back to square one.

Unfortunately, Arizona state law dictates that the land auction could occur as late as 240 days after the city’s board of appeals approved the sale, which occurred on March 14. That could punt the Coyotes’ certainty on landing the plot into next season, as late as November 9. That’s a tough pill to swallow for the league, facing mounting pressure from NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh to provide a suitable major league environment for Coyotes players. The auction won’t happen until mid-June at the absolute earliest, as state law also rules that “there must be an auction advertisement in print media for a minimum of 10 weeks before the auction.” That has yet to occur.

Interested parties outside the state surely include Ryan Smith, the majority owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz. His Smith Entertainment Group filed a formal request for the league to initiate an expansion process in January and has been public recently about his desire to bring an NHL franchise to Salt Lake City, whether by expansion or relocation. The city has an NHL-ready but not necessarily ideal venue in the Delta Center, which has a capacity of 20,000 for NBA games but would be significantly reduced in a hockey configuration. The franchise would have a new arena by the end of the decade, though, as the city has already approved the construction of a new downtown venue ahead of the 2034 Winter Olympics.

Bettman has stated the league will return to the Phoenix market in the near future if the Coyotes relocate. They’ll likely hold off on doing so until a suitable, more central-location venue becomes available, however.

Canucks Reassign Arshdeep Bains

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The Canucks have sent winger Arshdeep Bains to AHL Abbotsford, GM Patrik Allvin announced Thursday. His spot in the lineup will go to one of Phillip Di Giuseppe, Elias Lindholm (undisclosed, day-to-day) or Pius Suter, all of whom were scratched for yesterday’s 2-1 win over the Coyotes.

Bains, 23, signed an entry-level deal with the club two years ago and earned his first NHL recall in February amid a breakout season in Abbotsford. He was returned to the minors on March 1 but was given another chance with a second recall last week. He’s played eight games across his two stints on the roster, struggling with a -5 rating, 6 PIMs and only four shots on goal while averaging 11:48 per game.

Evidently not ready for major league action, the Surrey, British Columbia native will likely remain in Abbotsford for the rest of the season. He’s excelled there this season, posting 14 goals, 35 assists, 49 points, and a +15 rating in 53 games. Regardless of his lack of NHL impact thus far, he’s proven to be a smart undrafted free-agent pickup by Allvin and is one of the organization’s better forwards under the age of 25. He led the WHL in scoring two seasons ago with Red Deer, putting himself on NHL teams’ radars after a tumultuous major junior tenure up to that point. Bains has one season remaining on his ELC, which carries a cap hit of $817K.

Senators Activate, Reassign Rourke Chartier

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The Senators have activated forward Rourke Chartier from injured reserve and subsequently assigned him to AHL Belleville, per a team announcement. He’d missed 12 games with an upper-body injury.

Chartier, 28 yesterday, was summoned from Belleville under emergency conditions on March 8 but only played once, logging 11:23 against the Sharks before exiting the lineup. He was placed on IR later in the month to open a roster spot.

It was the second lengthy absence of the campaign for Chartier, who also missed 12 games with a concussion in December and January. That hasn’t stopped the Saskatoon native from making a career-high 37 appearances this season, scoring twice and adding an assist while averaging 10:46 per game. The minor-league mainstay is in his third season with the Senators organization and his second on an NHL contract in Ottawa after spending 2021-22 on a minor-league contract with Belleville.

A Sharks 2014 fifth-round pick, the former WHL All-Star played only 13 games with San Jose, all in the 2018-19 season. The following summer, after completing his entry-level contract, he was not awarded a qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent, but concussion symptoms prevented him from being cleared to play, and he sat out the 2019-20 campaign as a result. He returned to play in 2020 on a minor-league contract with the Maple Leafs before linking up with the Sens in 2021.

While he may not have much of an NHL future after showing little promise in his fourth-line minutes, Chartier has resumed his strong level of play in the minors and should continue to earn contracts from major league clubs. The pending UFA has been strong in limited action with the B-Sens this year, posting seven goals and 10 points in 12 games. Last season, he scored 20 goals in only 40 games.

Chartier will likely spend the rest of the season in the minors and will be eligible for Calder Cup Playoffs action with Belleville if they sneak in. They’re last place in the North Division but are only two points back of Laval for the fifth and final playoff berth with two games in hand. However, if injuries take a forward out of the mix, he could find his way back up to Ottawa for a game or two.

Sharks Sign Collin Graf To Entry-Level Contract

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3:21 p.m.: PuckPedia has the full details of Graf’s contract, which expires in 2026 and will make him a 10.2c RFA, meaning he’s ineligible to sign an offer sheet. The deal carries a $942K cap hit and breaks down as follows:

2023-24: $830K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $25K bonus for 5+ games played
2024-25/2025-26: $855K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $500K Schedule A performance bonus

11:57 a.m.: The San Jose Sharks have won the Collin Graf sweepstakes, signing the top free agent to his entry-level contract on Thursday per The Athletic’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link). Johnston adds that the deal begins immediately, opening the door for Graf to make his first NHL appearance before the year’s end. San Jose has eight games left in their season and sit confidently at the bottom of the standings, making now a great time to test out young players.

Graf earns a move to the NHL after a tremendous collegiate career. He kicked it off with one year at Union College, moving to D1 hockey straight out of the USPHL-NCDC – a rare and challenging jump to make. But he handled it in stride, scoring 22 points in 37 games as a freshman but missing the postseason. Perhaps inspired by their run to a regional championship, Graf decided to transfer to Qunnipiac in the summer of 2022. And to say he found a new layer to his game would be an understatement. Graf flourished under the guidance of legendary NCAA coach Rand Pecknold, exploding for 21 goals and 59 points in 41 games last season. He followed it up with an even higher scoring rate this season, netting 22 goals and 49 points in just 34 games. His career 1.44 points-per-game rate is the third-highest in Qunnipiac history, and the most any Cougar has scored since Chris Cerrella’s collegiate career ended in 2001.

Graf earns his keep on the back of a phenomenal shot, and fantastic awareness in the offensive zone. While not the most eloquent skater, he’s shown a great understanding of how to slide into the danger areas of the ice and exploit open space. The strong offensive toolset makes him a must-watch for defenders, often leaving teammates open and giving Graf a chance to use a passing ability that’s nearly as good as his shot. Keeping up with the tempo of play wasn’t always easy for Graf, and likely represents his biggest barrier in transitioning to the pro scene. But with an open role on a terrible team, it seems the sky is the limit for the red-hot Graf.

Injury Notes: Couturier, Hamonic, Oshie

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It has been revealed that Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier is facing a sprained shoulder, per NHL.com’s Kevin Kurz (Twitter link). Couturier seems to have dodged more serious injury and continues to carry the day-to-day injury designation given to him on Wednesday and is questionable for the team’s Friday night game.

Couturier has had an eventful season since being named Philadelphia’s first captain since Claude Giroux on February 14th. He’s since managed just three assists through 20 games, adding 11 penalty minutes and a -17. The cold streak has earned him two healthy scratches that he hasn’t yet vindicated – riding a six-game scoreless streak since returning to the lineup. Couturier managed 30 points in 41 games of the season but has since fallen apart. Hopefully a clean bill of health following this shoulder injury can bring with it a resurgence on the scoresheet.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Ottawa Senators are expected to be without defenseman Travis Hamonic on Thursday night due to a lower-body injury, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter link). Hamonic has missed 16 of Ottawa’s last 17 games with this injury and continues to miss time even after being removed from injured reserve on March 19th. He’s played in just 48 games this season, recording six points, 40 penalty minutes, and a -10. He joins Thomas Chabot on the team’s sideline, with Tyler Kleven benefiting most from the pair’s absences.
  • T.J. Oshie missed the Washington Capitals practice on Thursday, instead seeing the team’s doctor for an upper-body injury. Head coach Spencer Carbery shared that the injury will hold Oshie out of Washington’s next two games, per Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post (Twitter link), as the Capitals face a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday. His next chance to return will come on Sunday, when Washington hosts the Ottawa Senators. Oshie has played in just 47 games this season, recording 11 goals and 19 points.

Coyotes Sign Sam Lipkin To Entry-Level Deal

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The Arizona Coyotes have signed 2021 seventh-round pick Sam Lipkin to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will begin in the 2024-25 season, carrying a $925K cap-hit and $277.5K in signing bonuses, per CapFriendly (Link). Lipkin is expected to sign an amateur try-out agreement with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners for the remaining season, per PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan (Twitter link).

Lipkin has caught fire since being drafted with the second-to-last pick in 2021, serving as an integral member of Quinnipiac University’s championship run in 2023, scoring the overtime goal that would take Quinnipiac to the championship and assisting on the title-clinching goal from Jacob Quillan. Lipkin brings a hefty energy every single shift, showing no fear in diving into the gritty areas of the ice, and often emerging with the puck. He’s a hard-nosed player not scared of taking risks – an attribute that ultimately earned him 78 points across 78 collegiate games. Lipkin entered college on the back of a phenomenal season in the USHL, where he managed 36 goals and 71 points while serving as the captain of the Chicago Steel.

Lipkin joins teammates Quillan and Collin Graf in signing their first pro deals – with Quillan joining the Toronto Maple Leafs and Graf moving to the San Jose Sharks. This trio represents one of the school’s best scorers, sharpest playmakers, and grittiest forecheckers – marking a major blow to the team’s 2024-25 roster. Legendary coach Rand Pecknold will look to mend those holes with Boston Bruins draft pick Christopher Pelosi leading a group of 15 commits headed to Quinnipiac next season.

Penguins Call Up Forward Samuel Poulin

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Samuel Poulin from the AHL (Twitter link). This move reverses Poulin’s April 2nd assignment, bringing the winger back to Pittsburgh before he could return to the AHL lineup.

Poulin is continuing to find his footing this season, after missing all of November with a high-ankle sprain and most of February with a separate lower-body injury. He played in his first three NHL games of the season in late March, recording two penalty minutes, two shots on goal, and a -1. He’s been much more effective in the minors, boasting 13 goals and 27 points in 36 games. Poulin’s 2022-23 season came to a very early close, as he took a personal leave of absence from December to April, limiting his workload to just 15 AHL games and three NHL games.

Pittsburgh is plenty confident in Poulin, taking him in the first-round of the 2019 NHL Draft. But his string of absences has so far kept him from receiving consistent ice time. He’s had a healthy streak as of late and is scoring at the highest rate of his pro career, but if that can carry into the NHL level is yet to be seen. Poulin will likely battle with Jesse Puljujarvi for a spot on the team’s fourth-line. Puljujarvi has served in a very minimal role recently, averaging roughly seven minutes of ice time over the Penguins’ last four games. He’s recorded one assist in that stretch – but Pittsburgh will need much bigger of a spark, currently three points outside of the Eastern Conference’s second Wild Card.

Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad To Miss Remaining Regular Season

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The Florida Panthers will be without star defenseman Aaron Ekblad until Game One of the postseason, head coach Paul Maurice shared at the team’s Wednesday practice (Twitter link). Ekblad exited the team’s Tuesday matchup against the Montreal Canadiens after just seven minutes of ice time, leaving with an injury that’s yet to be disclosed. Whatever it is, it will hold Ekblad out of the team’s final six games – limiting his season to just 51 games, after a shoulder injury delayed his season’s start to mid-November.

Ekblad posted his lowest scoring rate since the 2016-17 season, managing just four goals and 18 points, or a 0.35 point-per-game pace. The cold performance ends Ekblad’s three-year streak of scoring double-digit goals – a streak that kicked off when he tallied 11 goals in just 35 games during the 2020-21 season.

Florida has made up for the absence of their former first-overall pick largely thanks to Gustav Forsling, who has taken over Ekblad’s role as a double-digit scorer and top-line defenseman. Forsling has 10 goals and 35 points in 73 games this season, continuing his streak of strong scoring after netting 37 and 41 points over the last two seasons respectively. He also leads the NHL in +/-, with a +47 – no doubt thanks to playing alongside Florida’s loaded top line, but also a testament to Forsling’s strong impact across the season. With stepped-up performances from Josh Mahura, Niko Mikkola, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Florida has been bale to forge a blue-line capable of playing without Ekblad – though they’ll still eagerly anticipate his return after setting a 33-18 record when Ekblad is healthy.

Devils Expected To Sign Dylan Wendt

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The New Jersey Devils are expected to sign Western Michigan University’s Dylan Wendt, per Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald (Twitter link). This deal would mark New Jersey’s first venture into the NCAA since signing Luke Hughes in 2022 and Brian Halonen, Aarne Talvitie, and Tyce Thompson in 2021.

Wendt exploded onto the scene this season, ranking second on Western Michigan with 23 goals and 44 points in 38 games. It was a tremendous jump in scoring, after Wendt tallied just 25 points in 73 games as an underclassman. And it came thanks to a boost in role, with Wendt moving into Western Michigan’s top-six and top power-play unit this season. He didn’t squander the opportunity – using a strong understanding of positioning, quick hands, and the ability to make sneaky passes to emerge as a key playmaker for the Broncos. Wendt was a key set-up man for top scorers Luke Grainger and Alex Bump, and always seemed to be in the right place to bury any second-chance opportunities.

Wendt was a critical part of the 2020-21 Muskegon Lumberjacks, where he worked alongside San Jose Sharks prospect Daniil Gushchin and New York Islanders prospect Cameron Berg to lead Muskegon to the league’s semi-finals. Again, Wendt’s strong understanding of the three lanes of the ice and his strong playmaking from the wings led to high scoring, with Wendt totaling 17 goals and 45 points in 53 games, and adding four assists in four playoff games. He’ll now look to become the third player from that lineup to play pro hockey, alongside Guschin and John Farinacci.

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