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Flyers Assign Jett Luchanko To AHL

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The Flyers announced Thursday that they’ve assigned top center prospect Jett Luchanko to AHL Lehigh Valley to finish the season. His major junior campaign with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League is over after they failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Selected 13th overall in last year’s draft, Luchanko was a surprise inclusion on Philadelphia’s opening night roster after a strong training camp. He appeared in four of Philly’s first five games of the season, going without a point and posting a minus-three rating. The 18-year-old did well in the dot for such a young player, winning 17 of 37 draws (45.9 FO%), but didn’t have good possession impacts at even strength (39.5 CF%, 43.8 xGF%).

Clearly in need of more development time, the Flyers’ only option was to return Luchanko to juniors. He won’t be eligible for a full-time AHL assignment, at least while the OHL season is going on, until the 2026-27 season. The 5’11” righty put up a solid performance captaining a conference-worst Guelph squad, posting 21-35–56 in 46 games to lead the team in points per game. He posted a minus-three rating that stands out in a good way on a team with a -75 goal differential and also scored once in five games for Canada at the World Juniors.

Luchanko is the No. 2 prospect in the Flyers’ system and the 50th-ranked prospect in the NHL, according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. He’ll get his first taste of minor-league hockey over the coming weeks before looking to repeat a strong camp performance en route to cracking the Flyers’ opening night roster for a second time in 2025-26.

Predators Place Marc Del Gaizo, Kieffer Bellows On Waivers

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March 27: Bellows and Del Gaizo cleared waivers, Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game reports. Both remain on Nashville’s roster for now.

March 26: The Nashville Predators have placed defenseman Marc Del Gaizo and left-winger Kieffer Bellows on waivers per PuckPedia. Del Gaizo has been with the NHL club since late February, while Bellows was called up on March 7th.

Serving as the Predators’ de facto defense call-up, Del Gaizo has split the season between the major and minor league rosters. He’s recorded eight points and 17 penalty minutes in 35 NHL games this season, making this year Del Gaizo’s formal rookie season after playing in nine games, and netting three points, in the NHL last year. He’s also added eight goals, 12 points, and 16 penalty minutes in 30 AHL games this season. That mark sits as a slight downtick from the 34 points he scored in 60 AHL games last year, and the 31 points he scored in 71 games of the 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old defender has found a niche as a stout defender away from the puck, though his menial scoring wasn’t enough to earn an everyday spot this season.

Bellows hasn’t found his NHL scoring this season either, with just three points in 13 games this season. He’s been far more productive in the minors, where his 14 goals and 29 points in 41 games ranks sixth on the Milwaukee Admirals in scoring. Bellows’ 54 penalty minutes also ranks fifth on the squad. He’s playing through his first season with the Predators organization after posting an impressive 27 goals and 49 points in 52 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies last season. The Canadian stint was part of what’s turning into a journeyman career for Bellows, who’s played with the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Predators within the last four seasons.

Both players seem likely to clear waivers and head back to the minor leagues, but their status will be important to watch. Should either player be claimed, they would be ineligible to be recalled to the NHL for the rest of the seasons. Both players are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer, which could mean they’ve played their last NHL games of the year – should another team want to bolster their minor-league lineups ahead of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Liam McLinskey To Sign AHL Deal In Panthers Organization

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1:19 p.m.: The Checkers have confirmed the signing.

12:33 p.m.: The Panthers are bringing Hobey Baker Award finalist Liam McLinskey into the organization on a two-year contract with AHL Charlotte, PHR can report. The deal begins next season, but he’ll finish 2024-25 on an ATO with Charlotte following a standout senior season at Holy Cross.

One of the top 10 names in voting for the Hobey this year, it’s a tad surprising not to see the 24-year-old McLinskey land an NHL commitment. The 6’3″, 165-lb forward dominated AHA play with the Crusaders this year, ranking second in the entire NCAA in scoring with 24-30–54 in 40 appearances. However, Holy Cross won’t be in the national tournament starting today after losing the conference championship game to Bentley.

[RELATED: List Of NHL Prospects In The 2025 NCAA Championship Tournament]

The undrafted New York native’s breakout didn’t come out of nowhere. He transferred to Holy Cross after spending his freshman year as a reserve player for Quinnipiac, getting into just two games. Upon arrival in Worcester, he scored 21 goals in 40 games in 2022-23 but managed just four assists. McLinskey’s playmaking and point totals improved linearly over the following years, upping his production to 47 points in 39 games last year before this season’s 54-point effort. He was also a top-10 finalist for the Hobey in 2024.

While he’ll head to Charlotte to suit up with the Panthers’ farm-bound prospects, signing a minor-league contract means he remains an unrestricted free agent in the NHL’s eyes. He’s free to take an NHL offer if one comes up, although it stands to reason Florida will offer him a deal if they like what they see from him down the stretch in Charlotte. McLinskey’s birthday was in February, so he’s still eligible for an entry-level deal, albeit a one-year pact, if they sign him during the 2025 calendar year. If the Panthers or any other team waits until the beginning of 2026 to sign him to an NHL contract, he’ll no longer be eligible for an ELC and would need to sign a two-way deal without performance bonuses.

A right-winger with some utility at center, McLinskey could be a notable injection into a league-worst Panthers prospect pool, as graded by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. The only player to outproduce McLinskey this season, Denver forward Jack Devine, is the No. 2 prospect in Florida’s system.

Oilers Recall Olivier Rodrigue

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The Oilers have recalled goaltender prospect Olivier Rodrigue from AHL Bakersfield, per a team announcement. He comes up to serve as Calvin Pickard’s backup for the time being after starter Stuart Skinner left last night’s loss to the Stars in the third period after taking Dallas winger Mikko Rantanen’s knee to the head inadvertently. To keep themselves cap-compliant, Edmonton sent center Derek Ryan to AHL Bakersfield in a corresponding move.

Rodrigue, 24, was a second-round pick by Edmonton (No. 62 overall) back in 2018. Rodrigue was the second goalie off the board that year after the Rangers selected Olof Lindbom with the No. 39 pick, but neither he nor Lindbom have seen NHL ice. Multiple goalies selected after them – Justus Annunen (No. 64), Lukáš Dostál (No. 85), Joel Hofer (No. 107), and Samuel Ersson (No. 143) are now full-time NHLers. He’s a 6’1″, left-catching netminder who’s largely done well in the minors, but not this year. He’s posted a 3.05 GAA, .899 SV%, one shutout, and an 18-15-7 record in 40 games with Bakersfield.

That regression comes after Rodrigue, firmly the No. 3 option on the Oilers’ depth chart ahead of struggling veteran Collin Delia, had posted save percentages of .912 and .916 with the Condors in 2022-23 and 2023-24. As a result, he earned a $125K AHL salary with a $150K guarantee on the two-way extension he signed with Edmonton last March.

While still an intriguing long-term option, Rodrigue’s underwhelming AHL showing doesn’t make him a promising insurance policy in Skinner’s absence. The latter has now left two of his last three starts following head contact, and he’s presumably entered concussion protocol as a result. He’s started 12 of 16 games coming out of the 4 Nations break, but it’s now Pickard’s crease for the next few games, at least.

Of course, neither goaltender has put together a compelling performance in 2024-25. Skinner has a 2.91 GAA and .894 SV% through 49 appearances, allowing 8.9 goals above average based on the league-average save percentage this season. Pickard’s numbers of 2.61 and .901 through 28 appearances look much better at first glance, but MoneyPuck data shows he’s actually been worse than Skinner compared to the quality of defense in front of him. The Oilers are allowing 2.83 expected goals per game in front of Skinner while allowing just 2.36 in front of Pickard. Neither goalie has given them above-average play, but Skinner’s -3.9 goals saved above expected are a better option than Pickard’s -6.0.

Skinner’s injury leaves them in a significant bind if he’ll miss extended time heading into the postseason, especially after the Oilers failed to address their goaltending issues at the trade deadline. They’ve fallen behind the Kings and now rank third in the Pacific Division with a 41-25-5 record, setting themselves up to start the postseason on the road. MoneyPuck only gives them a 14.9% chance of climbing back into second place, a figure that likely drops a marginal amount without Skinner available.

As for Ryan, he was recalled just last week for his first stint on the NHL roster since January. The 38-year-old center appeared in Edmonton’s last two games, recording a hit and shot on goal while going 10-for-15 on faceoffs. With stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid sidelined for the short term, they’re already short on forwards, so they’ll likely need to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen out of necessity tonight against the Kraken.

Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek Begin On-Ice Rehab

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Wild stars Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek have progressed enough in their recovery from lower-body injuries to return to the ice sheet ahead of today’s practice, relays Michael Russo of The Athletic. Head coach John Hynes stressed the development doesn’t signal a return is imminent for either, but told reporters they’ll both travel on their upcoming road trip after taking the “first step to getting back” (via Jessi Pierce of NHL.com). Continued week-to-week timelines for both make their regular-season availability uncertain, but it’s increasingly likely they’ll become available to the team sometime during the first round of the playoffs if they can hold onto a postseason berth.

Kaprizov underwent what’s believed to be a groin surgery in late January and is now nearly two months removed from that procedure. He was initially expected to return to the lineup shortly after the four-week mark, but for the second time this season, his absence has lasted much longer than initially expected. His injury dates back to a November game, and he missed the tail end of December and most of January after aggravating it. He returned to the lineup for just three games before opting to undergo surgery.

After missing the playoffs in 2024 for the first time in five years, Minnesota was one of the league’s hottest teams to start the season. They went 21-10-4 before Kaprizov’s first extended absence. That provided enough cushion for them to play just above .500 hockey the rest of the way, losing their divisional berth but still likely to hold onto a wild card spot – they have an 84.8% chance at the playoffs entering tonight’s games but could push that number back over 90 with a win over the league-leading Capitals, per MoneyPuck.

Their offense has sputtered with 2.49 goals per game since Dec. 27, and as expected, it’s their top line of Marco Rossi and Mats Zuccarello leading the charge with Matt Boldy skating in Kaprizov’s spot. Those three, as well as Frédérick Gaudreau, are tied for the team lead with 10 goals in 37 games since Kaprizov initially landed on IR.

Serving as Minnesota’s offensive lifeblood since entering the league in 2021, Kaprizov was a legitimate Hart Trophy contender before exiting the lineup. He has 23-29–52 through 37 games, good for a career-high 1.41 points per game that ranks fifth in the league behind Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor McDavid.

His absence alone would be enough to derail a season, but Eriksson Ek, Minnesota’s top matchup center, has also been limited to 9-15–24 in 42 games. He last played on Feb. 22 and sustained a lower-body injury in practice two days later. He’s only been available for 58.3% of Minnesota’s games this year. They’ve had both Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov in the lineup just 24 times in 72 games – exactly one-third of their contests to date in 2024-25.

Having both in the lineup for Game 1 of a first-round series, which will likely be against either the Golden Knights or Jets, is a must-have for Minnesota to pull off an upset. Assuming they make the postseason, MoneyPuck only gives them a 24% chance of advancing to the second round.

Eriksson Ek is on standard IR, while Kaprizov is on LTIR. If Minnesota were to have Kaprizov available before the end of the regular season, they’d need to clear roughly $550K in cap space to activate him.

Blackhawks To Recall Kevin Korchinski

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The Blackhawks are calling up top left-handed defense prospect Kevin Korchinski from AHL Rockford, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic. The seventh overall pick of the 2022 draft could make his first NHL appearance in three months tomorrow night against the Golden Knights.

Korchinski joins a Chicago blue line that boasted just one defender over the age of 23 in its last outing, with veterans T.J. Brodie (healthy) and Alec Martinez (upper body) not dressed. They’ve recently brought up top right-shot prospect Artyom Levshunov, the 2024 second-overall pick. That high-powered duo joins other young names like Louis Crevier, Ethan Del Mastro, and Wyatt Kaiser, who have seen in-season promotions, as the Blackhawks evaluate which of them could appear on their opening night roster next fall.

Unlike Levshunov, Korchinski isn’t a rookie. The 20-year-old was a full-timer on Chicago’s blue line last year but understandably struggled without much support. After being limited to 5-10–15 with a -39 rating in 76 games in 2023-24, the Blackhawks deemed it best for his long-term development to spend more time down a level in Rockford. The IceHogs aren’t the strongest club offensively, producing 2.87 goals per game, and that’s reflected in the team’s stars’ semi-conservative point totals. Korchinski still leads their blue line with 3-24–27 in 54 games, but he’s still behind the curve defensively as he adjusts to professional hockey. His -17 rating is the worst on the team.

However, his upside always primarily stemmed from his skating, offensive involvement, and power-play versatility. He ranks third among Chicago prospects and 28th overall on Scott Wheeler of The Athletic’s most recent ranking of league prospects. While there remains concern about his defensive-zone decision-making, he’s a good stick-checker that could make him an effective transition defender – once the rest of the Blackhawks’ roster is filled out enough to play better system-oriented hockey.

In nine NHL games this season, coming on a December recall, Korchinski went without a point and logged a minus-five rating while seeing 16:46 of ice time per game. He controlled 46.6% of shot attempts and 50% of expected goals at even strength, however, both notable improvements on last year’s possession numbers (44.4 CF%, 40.4 xGF%).

Korchinski, a World Juniors gold medalist with Canada in 2023, still has one year remaining on his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent in 2026. He’s under team control for at least five seasons beyond this one and won’t be arbitration-eligible until he logs four seasons with at least 10 NHL games.

Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.

Capitals Sign Dylan McIlrath To Two-Year Extension

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Only one defenseman on the Washington Capitals isn’t signed beyond this season. The Capitals announced they’ve signed Dylan McIlrath to a two-year, $1.6MM contract extension, an average annual value of $800K.

It’s a modest bump in pay for the Winnipeg, Manitoba native, who’s been earning $775K over the last three years with Washington. Should he stay with the Capitals organization over the life of the extension, it’ll be the longest McIlrath has been tenured with one team in his professional playing career.

That career started more than a decade ago. The New York Rangers selected McIlrath with the 10th overall selection of the 2010 NHL Draft after his sophomore campaign with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. Even then, the pick was considered a reach, with the NHL Central Scouting Bureau projecting McIlrath as the 17th overall pick.

Still, McIlrath carved out a niche role with the Rangers organization, a role maintained to this day. The 6’5″, 231 lbs defenseman has never scored more than four points in an NHL season and no more than 17 points in an AHL season, but he’s found a home in the penalty box at the very least.

McIlrath has racked up a whopping 1,204 PIMs in 618 AHL contests, with another 133 Pims in 91 Calder Cup playoff contests. In the NHL, largely due to lack of playing time, McIlrath has accrued 147 PIMs at the NHL level in 86 contests.

Despite the lack of NHL playing time, it’s hard to consider McIlrath’s time with Washington as anything less than the best stretch of his career. He’s notched four assists in 20 games for the Capitals since 2022-23, averaging 11:03 of ice time per game. He’s still 18 games short of the total he matched earlier in his career with the Rangers, with his time in the AHL making up the gap.

McIlrath, then rostered with the Detroit Red Wings’ AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, won his first Calder Cup in 2017. Since joining the Capitals organization in 2021-22, McIlrath has tripled his number of Calder Cup rings, helping the Hershey Bears win back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024.

Philadelphia Flyers Fire John Tortorella

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After nearly three years behind the bench, John Tortorella is no longer the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers announced they’ve relieved Tortorella of head coaching duties and named associate coach Brad Shaw the interim head coach for the remaining schedule.

In the statement, Flyers’ General Manager Daniel Brière said, “Today I made the very difficult decision to move on from John as our head coach. John played a vital role in our rebuild. He set a standard of play and re-established what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer. John’s passion on the bench was only equaled by his charitable work in our community. As we move into the next chapter of this rebuild, I felt this was the best for our team to move forward. I’d like to thank John for his tireless work and commitment to the Flyers.”

It’s a bold yet unsurprising move from Brière. From most statements, the Flyers’ front office had honest expectations for the team heading into the 2024-25 season, and even those haven’t been met. The biggest tell that a change behind the bench was incoming was Tortorella’s comments after Philadelphia’s embarrassing defeat against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

Tortorella was quoted saying, “This falls on me. I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now. But I have to do a better job. So this falls on me, getting the team prepared to play the proper way until we get to the end.”

He attempted to smooth over the sentence in the same statement; however, Tortorella’s statement that he’s uninterested in learning how to coach in ’this type of season’ is indicative of the duress he was under through March. Philadelphia performed relatively well through the first five months of the season with a 26-26-8 record through 60 games, but the bottom has completely fallen out from underneath them.

Since the calendar turned to March, the Flyers have played 13 games but only won two. Opposing teams are outscoring them by a margin of 29, and they haven’t scored a powerplay goal despite having 31 opportunities to do so. Additionally, the team’s penalty kill operated at a 69.6% rate, which would only be higher than the Detroit Red Wings if that were extrapolated over the entire campaign. Surprisingly, the part that may sting the most for Philadelphia is that they largely controlled play at even strength with a 50.5% CorsiFor% through the month.

The blame can never be placed at the feet of one man, especially in a team sport. Still, a change had to be made after the wheels completely fell off the season. Surprisingly, Philadelphia didn’t wait until the end of the regular season to terminate Tortorella. The veteran coach’s comments from the other night may have been the final nail in the coffin for the Flyers’ management. Tortorella ends his tenure behind Philadelphia’s bench with a 97-107-33 record in 237 games.

Meanwhile, Shaw earns his second stint as a head coach in the National Hockey League for the first time since the 2005-06 season when he replaced Steve Stirling behind the bench for the New York Islanders. Shaw was hired as the Flyers’ associate coach in 2022-23, his second stint on Tortorella’s staff since their time with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

There’s little expectation that Shaw will remain as Philadelphia’s head coach beyond this season. Still, the organization will do their due diligence during the hiring process, and Shaw’s hat may be in the ring. If he doesn’t remain with the team beyond the current campaign, Shaw will only serve 9 games as the Flyers’ head coach.

Image courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.

West Notes: Oilers, Stancl, Fischer, Colangelo

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Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch provided injury updates to several reporters, including TSN’s Ryan Rishaug (Twitter link).  While centers Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid were ruled out for the week recently, Knoblauch clarified that Draisaitl will be the first one to come back, likely after this week ends or soon after; that suggests McDavid could miss a bit more time beyond that.  Meanwhile, newcomer Trent Frederic could still be multiple weeks away from skating with the team, calling into question if he’ll be able to get into game action before the end of the regular season.  Edmonton recently slipped into third place in the Pacific Division and they’ll have to find a way to at least stay close to getting that spot back while waiting for their two top players to return.

More from out West:

  • The Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield announced a pair of additions. First, St. Louis reassigned winger Jakub Stancl from WHL Kelowna to the Thunderbirds.  The 20-year-old signed his entry-level contract last year but spent the season with the Rockets where he potted 23 goals and 34 assists in 58 games.  This was his only year in major junior after playing professionally in Sweden last season.  His entry-level deal will officially begin in 2025-26 after sliding this season.  The Thunderbirds also added defenseman Lukas Fischer on an ATO for the remainder of the year.  The 18-year-old was a second-round pick last year, going 56th overall and spent this season with OHL Sarnia where he had 15 goals and 22 assists in 51 games.  If he sees game action with Springfield, it will be his first taste of professional action.
  • The Ducks will have winger Sam Colangelo back in the lineup tonight against Boston, relays Eric Stephens of The Athletic (Twitter link). He had been out for the last two weeks with an upper-body injury.  Colangelo is in his first full professional season and has split time between Anaheim and AHL San Diego.  He has six goals and an assist in 20 games with the Ducks while being quite productive with the Gulls, tallying 19 goals and 16 helpers in 38 outings on the farm.

Bruins Discussing Extension With Michael DiPietro

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Once viewed as a potential goalie of the future with Vancouver, Michael DiPietro’s career hasn’t panned out quite as planned.  However, he has turned into a solid goalie in the minors in Boston’s system and the Bruins would like to keep him around as Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek reports that the two sides are discussing a possible contract extension.

The 25-year-old will qualify for unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer, though not as a typical UFA.  Instead, his lack of NHL experience to this point in time will make him a Group Six UFA, one that allows him to reach the open market a little earlier than more established players.

DiPietro has just three appearances at the top level under his belt, those coming with the Canucks where he got into one game in 2018-19, one the following year, and the last in 2021-22.  The following season saw him play just once in the AHL with the bulk of his playing time coming with ECHL Maine.

However, things have gotten much better for DiPietro over the last couple of years.  After putting up a 2.51 GAA and a .908 SV% in 30 games with AHL Providence last season, he has bettered those numbers this year, checking in at 2.03 and .928, respectively, in 38 outings.  At a time where some third-string goalies have received one-way deals and others pricey two-way agreements with a strong guarantee, DiPietro is well-positioned to land a raise on his current $225K guarantee on his next deal.

At the moment, both of Boston’s AHL netminders are set to hit the open market this summer as Brandon Bussi is a pending unrestricted free agent as well.  The 26-year-old has played fewer games than DiPietro this season and after not getting a look with the Bruins in parts of four professional seasons with them, he might look to catch on elsewhere to see if his fortunes change in another organization.  That would seemingly position DiPietro to be the unquestioned number three option for Boston next season if they can come to terms on a new deal in the coming weeks and months.

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