Wild Recall Hunter Haight, Matt Kiersted
The Minnesota Wild recalled Hunter Haight and Matt Kiersted from AHL Iowa, announced today. With their first round playoff opponent set (Dallas) the club has summoned reinforcements for their final two regular season games; tomorrow at St. Louis and Tuesday against Anaheim.
Both Haight and Kiersted have contributed as depth already this season, and despite being key players for the farm club, Iowa is ranked 29th in the AHL and therefore doesn’t have the highest stakes after what has been another forgettable season.
Haight, 22, is a noteworthy prospect of Minnesota. Selected 47th overall in 2022, the center jumped into the AHL last season as an immediate contributor, posting 34 points in 67 games. He followed that up with more progression, nearly matching the same output in 16 fewer contests. The efforts got him his NHL debut in October, followed by brief stints both in the winter, and the spring, as recently as last month.
The rookie recorded his first NHL point in March, an assist. His usage remains limited, just one tick below 10:00 across the seven total games. An AHL All Star this season, the Ontario native has high puck skill for a projected top nine forward at the NHL level. As expected, he’s often been sheltered starting nearly 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone, but such will change should he develop into a trustworthy two-way center.
On the other hand, Kiersted is an AHL veteran at age 27. In his first season with the Wild organization, the Minnesota native spent most of the year in Iowa, outside of four games with the big club. Usually more offensively capable, with a 29-point campaign last year with the Charlotte Checkers, Kiersted had just 12 points in 49 games with Iowa.
Having 43 NHL games under his belt, 39 of which come from his time in Florida, the lefty is a dependable call-up to fill in on the blue line. In his last NHL contest, January 5 at Los Angeles, Kiersted played just 8:31 but he’ll figure to see more action in the coming days.
With the likes of Joel Eriksson Ek, Mats Zuccarello, and Jared Spurgeon all day-to-day, and the chance to rest more stars such as Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes, the duo will have plenty of opportunity tomorrow night.
Senators Recall Hayden Hodgson
The Ottawa Senators have called up Hayden Hodgson from AHL Belleville, in a team announcement earlier today. Having locked up a spot in the postseason, currently slated for a first round match-up against Buffalo, the forward is a perfect spot-starter on the fourth line before what could be an exciting series against two franchises craving a run.
Brady Tkachuk was shaken up yesterday against the Islanders, not returning after catching a stick in the neck area in a weird sequence. Considering what’s in store, there’s no reason to rush their captain back for an inconsequential contest in Newark tonight, and Hodgson is a beneficiary.
The 30-year-old had to play the long game to this point. Undrafted out of the OHL, he was scarcely on anyone’s radar after bouncing around various ECHL clubs from 2017-2021 as well as a stint in Slovakia. After a sudden breakout with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2021-22, where he recorded 31 points, Hodgson got into seven games with the Flyers, but soon found himself back on the move.
Undeterred, the Windsor, Ontario native caught on with the Senators organization in 2024, fully leaning into an enforcer role with back-to-back campaigns with over 130 penalty minutes. The willingness to drop the mitts has gotten him 11 games with the Sens over the past two years, still looking for his first point with the club, but a metric hardly in his job description.
Hodgson will be eager for his first NHL action since early December, assuming he draws into the lineup against the Devils. Not yet reaching the 9:00 mark with the big club in any of his nine games, there can be less restriction of his ice time in a game against a team firmly out of the playoff picture.
After tonight Ottawa will conclude their regular season Wednesday, hosting the Maple Leafs. Hodgson will be soon to re-join Belleville, who unfortunately won’t qualify for the playoffs, but 2025-26 has been a year to remember with the most NHL playing time in his career so far.
Sharks Recall Luca Cagnoni
The San Jose Sharks announced today that they have recalled Luca Cagnoni from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
Cagnoni hasn’t played in the NHL this season, but got into six NHL games last year. In the meantime, he’s been one of the AHL’s most productive offensive defensemen, scoring 16 goals and 52 points as a rookie in 2024-25, and 43 points in 67 games in 2025-26.
The 5’9″ 180-pound blueliner is a former WHL star who is generally considered to be one of the better prospects in the Sharks’ system, which is one of the league’s very best. As with most defensemen his size, he has had to answer questions related to whether he’ll be able to handle the physical rigor and intensity of the NHL, but so far in his two-year professional career, he’s answered those questions in an emphatically positive direction.
The Sharks have not yet been eliminated from the playoffs, but their hopes of reaching the postseason are very slim. In the event they are eliminated from the playoffs before the end of the regular season, this recall will allow the team to get a look at Cagnoni’s progress.
His success at the AHL level suggests he could be nearing the point of NHL-readiness, and the Sharks are likely to want the chance to assess how close they believe Cagnoni is to making a real push for a full-time NHL roster spot.
The environment of the Sharks defense is favorable to Cagnoni, as he could have a significant opportunity ahead of him. San Jose’s defense is almost entirely unsettled for next season, with only Sam Dickinson and Dmitry Orlov under contract for 2026-27.
Mario Ferraro, Vincent Desharnais, Nick Leddy, and John Klingberg are set to hit unrestricted free agency, while Shakir Mukhamadullin will be an RFA. Klingberg has quarterbacked San Jose’s No. 1 power play unit this season, and if the Sharks let him walk, a significant amount of time on the man advantage will open up – time Cagnoni could very well seize if he makes the team.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall David Jiricek
The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled defenseman David Jiricek from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The move puts the 2022 No. 6 overall pick in a position to potentially make his Flyers debut in one of the team’s final two regular-season games. He was acquired by the Flyers in March in exchange for forward Bobby Brink, but has yet to make his NHL debut.
PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor wrote that he’d “be surprised” if Jiricek actually played on this recall, given the Flyers still need to clinch their playoff spot. The team is 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, so head coach Rick Tocchet might not have much of an appetite to make changes to a lineup that is firing on all cylinders.
But if the Flyers manage to clinch a playoff spot with a game remaining on their schedule, Jiricek could make his debut for the team in the final game of the regular season.
If Jiricek does play, the most likely spot in the lineup for him to take would be on the right side of the team’s third pairing. That’s a spot currently occupied by Emil Andrae, who is a lefty and has averaged 15:17 time on ice per game this season.
Jiricek, 22, has been stellar at the AHL level since joining the Flyers organization. He has 13 points in 13 games, and is playing a significant role in the lineup, soaking up significant minutes and appearing on both sides of special teams.
He could be a major part of the Flyers’ future if he can sort out some of the on-ice issues that helped pave the way for his exit from his last two NHL stops. Right now, though, the Flyers are singularly focused on the present and making the playoffs in these final two games on their schedule.
Red Wings Recall Michael Brandsegg-Nygard
The Detroit Red Wings announced that they have recalled forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. The recall was made under emergency conditions.
Today’s recall comes just shortly after the Red Wings were officially eliminated from playoff contention following a 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils. Detroit has a two-game road trip down to Florida to conclude its 2025-26 season, and now Brandsegg-Nygard will be a part of that trip.
Brandsegg-Nygard, 20, last played in the NHL exactly one month ago, for the final contest of a three-game stint on the NHL roster. Brandsegg-Nygard’s last two games in the NHL coincidentally also came against the league’s two Florida teams, who are the Red Wings’ final two upcoming opponents.
A 2024 first-round pick of the Red Wings, Brandsegg-Nygard is the highest-drafted Norwegian player in NHL history, the first to ever be selected in the first round. He spent the year following his selection in the SHL, scoring 11 points in 40 games for Skellefteå before joining Grand Rapids late in the season. He scored three points in three playoff contests for the Griffins.
This season has been Brandsegg-Nygard’s first full campaign in North America. He’s had a strong year, scoring 20 goals and 44 points in 58 games for Grand Rapids. While he hasn’t yet been able to translate that production to the NHL level, he also hasn’t looked entirely out of place when the Red Wings have brought him up to the NHL.
Brandsegg-Nygard has a hard-working forward who plays an endearing style of hockey that is tailor-made for the North American pro ranks. With how well he’s played in the AHL, and how little he’ll need to change the foundation of his game to be able to at least survive at the NHL level, it’s not out of the question that he makes a push for a full-time NHL roster spot as soon as next fall.
These final two games on Detroit’s schedule could be valuable data points in helping the Red Wings plan for next season’s team – and whether they can count on Brandsegg-Nygard to be on it.
Oilers Recall Isaac Howard
The Edmonton Oilers announced that forward Isaac Howard has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Howard has been in the AHL since January. He began the 2025-26 season in the NHL, but was sent to the AHL in the middle of November after scoring just three points in 17 games to start his campaign. It was likely that the Oilers were hoping Howard would build some confidence offensively at the AHL level, developing a better sense of how to score at the professional level against lighter competition.
Howard did exactly that, scoring six points in his first three AHL contests. He earned a recall in January, but his struggles to translate his offensive touch to the NHL level persisted. He hasn’t been back in the NHL for a few months, but he’s maintained his pace as a lethal AHL scorer. In total, he has 22 goals and 47 points in 45 games for the Condors.
The 2024-25 Hobey Baker winner was recently ranked the No. 1 prospect in the Oilers’ system by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. Among all of the Oilers’ prospects, Howard is considered by most evaluators to stand the strongest chance of becoming a scoring forward at the NHL level.
While it’s unclear whether Howard will be able to hold down an NHL role for the Oilers’ upcoming playoff run, he will at least get a game or two before the end of the regular season to show Oilers brass how much he’s developed in his time in Bakersfield.
Avalanche Recall Jack Ahcan
The Colorado Avalanche announced today that defenseman Jack Ahcan has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
Veteran defenseman Josh Manson left last night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights with an upper-body injury. His injury left the Avalanche with just five healthy defensemen on their NHL roster, as Cale Makar has been sidelined with an injury of his own. This recall brings the number of healthy blueliners the Avalanche have at their disposal to six.
Ahcan, 28, has already played in nine NHL games this season. He’s been one of the top offensive defensemen in the AHL this season. His 50 points in 60 games for the Eagles places him second in scoring by defensemen in the AHL, behind only Rochester Americans blueliner Zac Jones.
As a 5’8″ left-shot defenseman, he’s far from a one-to-one replacement for Manson, a 6’4″ right-shot blueliner. If they wanted to recall someone more stylistically similar to Manson, they could have recalled 6’3″ right-shot defenseman Ronnie Attard, who has played in 29 career NHL games.
Attard hasn’t played in the NHL since 2023-24 though. More importantly, the Avalanche don’t actually have a pressing need to recall someone that is a direct stylistic comparable to Manson. The Avalanche acquired blueliner Nick Blankenburg from the Nashville Predators at the deadline, a move that was designed to protect the team’s defensive depth in advance of what it hopes will be a long playoff run.
So far, the move has done exactly that: provided the Avalanche with an increased measure of flexibility in the face of injuries on its blueline. Yesterday, they played Blankenburg, who is a right shot, on the left side. Blankenburg has experience playing on both sides, a factor the team no doubt considered when they decided to acquire him.
Even still, the Avalanche have only two healthy lefties in their lineup at this point. By recalling Ahcan, the Avalanche can now shift Blankenburg back to his natural right side, and easily plug Ahcan onto the left side of one of their pairings.
At this stage, there is no word on the extent of Manson’s injury. Colorado has just three games remaining on their regular season schedule, and have already locked up the Presidents’ Trophy. The team has every reason to be patient with Manson’s recovery and has zero reason to rush him back into their lineup. As a result, it appears entirely possible Ahcan could get into these three final games of the season as a result of this recall, which would be a very positive development for him, as he’s just a few months from needing a new contract as an unrestricted free agent.
Capitals Recall Clay Stevenson
The Washington Capitals announced that they have recalled goaltender Clay Stevenson from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. In a corresponding move, netminder Mitchell Gibson has been reassigned to the Bears.
These two transactions have likely been made with Hershey’s best interests in mind. The Capitals need to have a goalie from the Bears on their NHL roster because incumbent backup Charlie Lindgren is sidelined with an upper-body injury. Stevenson, 27, started Hershey’s game yesterday against the Charlotte Checkers, saving 21 of 22 shots in a 2-1 victory.
Hershey plays this afternoon against the Charlotte Checkers. Reassigning Gibson puts him in a position to potentially start that game. With just four games remaining on their schedule, today’s contest is very important to the Bears as they look to clinch their spot in the playoffs.
By swapping Gibson for Stevenson on the Capitals’ NHL roster, the team has switched who will back up Logan Thompson for today’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’ll now be Stevenson. Since he played last night, the Capitals are now carrying some added risk: in the event Thompson is unavailable due to injury or other circumstances, they could be forced to play a goalie in Stevenson who played just last night, and has had to travel on short notice. That would hardly be ideal for a team that needs to avoid a regulation loss to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
But in exchange for taking on the additional risk that comes with running Stevenson as the backup today, the Capitals have significantly upgraded the goalie available to Hershey for its important matchup today against Charlotte. Gibson, 26, has thoroughly outplayed Hershey’s No. 3 goalie, 23-year-old Garin Bjorklund, this season. Gibson has a .907 save percentage in 22 games compared to Bjorklund’s .876 save percentage in 17 games.
Put simply: this transaction may allow the Bears to start Gibson against the Checkers instead of Bjorklund, which could notably increase the team’s odds of winning an important late-season game.
There is some risk at the NHL level attached to this transaction, as was previously mentioned. But the Capitals have long proven to be an organization that is deeply invested in the success of their AHL affiliate, and today’s transaction further underscores that fact.
Predators Recall Kevin Gravel, Nicolas Hague Out Day-To-Day
The Nashville Predators recalled veteran defenseman Kevin Gravel from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals before Saturday’s game over the Minnesota Wild. Gravel was a healthy scratch for the matchup but offered emergency depth for defenseman Nicolas Hague, who is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury per NHL.com’s Brooks Bratten. Predators captain Roman Josi was also questionable before the game started but did end up playing, filling the hole in the lineup left by Hague.
Gravel, Milwaukee’s captain, has been a reliable anchor at the top of the Admirals’ lineup. He has played in nearly all of the team’s games dating back to his move to Milwaukee in 2022, though did have a 23-game stint with the Predators in 2022-23. Gravel has often stood out on the defensive side of the puck, where his long reach and strong frame make scoring difficult for opponents. That has also largely kept him off the scoresheet in his years in the Preadators organization. He has two points in 29 NHL games, and 54 points in 238 AHL games in the last four seasons.
With questions around who was healthy and who was not, the Predators opted to bring Gravel up as a contingency option. He is unlikely to stick with the NHL club through the rest of the season, unless Hague or Josi need an extended stay out of the lineup. It’s more likely that Gravel returns to the minors soon, where he’ll look to lead the Admirals in locking up a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Meanwhile, Nashville will hope Hague can return to his versatile, depth role soon. The 27 year old has scored 15 points in 62 games this season, two points shy of his career-high reached twice with the Vegas Golden Knights. He is in his first season with the Predators and has averaged 19:38 a night while operating behind Brady Skjei on the depth chart.
Atlantic Notes: Stolarz, Holinka, Lightning, Ostlund
The Maple Leafs are shutting down goaltender Anthony Stolarz for the final few games of their season after he was injured on Wednesday against Washington, relays David Alter of The Hockey News. On top of that, head coach Craig Berube noted that while surgery isn’t required, the injury could ultimately affect Stolarz’s offseason training plans, which suggests this isn’t a minor issue. After a breakout effort last season that netted him a four-year, $15MM extension in the preseason, it has been a rough year for Stolarz in 2025-26. Injuries have limited him to just 26 appearances while he hasn’t been particularly sharp, putting up a 3.28 GAA and a .893 SV% after having the highest SV% in the NHL in the previous two seasons. Now, it looks like his offseason training could be impacted, adding one more negative note to a year that has had plenty.
More from the Atlantic:
- Still with the Maple Leafs, the AHL Marlies announced (Twitter link) that forward Miroslav Holinka is joining the team. The 20-year-old was a fifth-round pick by Toronto back in 2024 and is coming off a very productive junior season with WHL Edmonton. Holinka played in 59 games with the Oil Kings during the regular season, notching 37 goals and 43 assists, good for second on the team in scoring. He was even more productive in their first-round playoff loss, tallying seven goals and four assists in seven games. Eligible to play full-time with the Marlies next season, Holinka will now get an early taste of the pros.
- While the Lightning welcomed back Brandon Hagel this afternoon versus Boston, they were without a pair of other regulars. Team reporter Benjamin Pierce relayed (Twitter link) that center Zemgus Girgensons and defenseman Darren Raddysh are out with day-to-day injuries. Girgensons was limited after blocking a shot on Thursday in Montreal while Raddysh’s injury is a little harder to pin down after he scored the game-tying goal late in that one. At this point, there doesn’t appear to be any concern about their playoff availability.
- The Sabres are hopeful that center Noah Ostlund will be ready to return for the playoffs, notes Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). He has missed the last two weeks with an upper-body injury; head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that the 22-year-old is skating daily and that it’s a pain management issue at this point. Ostlund has 11 goals and 16 assists in 60 games for Buffalo this season and should slot back into a bottom-six spot once he’s cleared to return to the lineup.