Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

AHL

Kraken Sign John Hayden To Two-Year Extension

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Seattle Kraken have signed forward John Hayden to a two-year, one-way contract extension. The deal will carry a league-minimum, $775K salary. This is notably Hayden’s first one-way contract since the 2020-21 season, which he spent on a one-year, one-way deal with the Arizona Coyotes.

Hayden will re-up for a fourth season with the Kraken with this move. That will mark the longest Hayden has spent with one organization throughout his nine-year professional career. He’s spent time with five organizations over that tenure, kicked off with three years with the Chicago Blackhawks, who originally drafted Hayden in the 2013 third-round. He joined the Hawks lineup at the end of the 2016-17 season and managed one goal and four points in his first 12 NHL games. He then made the Blackhawks’ roster out of training camp in the 2017-18 season, but was assigned to the minor leagues in March after recording just 13 points and 54 penalty minutes in 47 NHL games. Hayden finished the AHL season strong, with 17 points in 24 regular season games and three goals in 13 playoff games. That boost earned him a return to the NHL in 2018-19, though his renewed opportunity came with an added focus on a bruising role.

Hayden traveled around the NHL from 2018 to 2022 – appearing in games with Chicago, New Jersey, Arizona, and Buffalo. He never once returned to the minor leagues, even despite averaging just over four points and 56 penalty minutes each season. It wasn’t until Hayden moved on to the Kraken organization that he was finally returned to the minor leagues, where his veteran presence was quickly felt. He scored a career-high 33 points in 47 games of his first season with Coachella Valley, but managed just two points in 10 playoff games as the team raced to the Calder Cup Finals. His scoring skid continued through the 2023-24 season – when he scored just 26 points in 65 games – but he made up for it with an electric nine goals and 13 points in 18 playoff games in the Firebirds’ second run to the AHL Finals. Hayden was brought back to the NHL for 20 games this season, and recorded two points and 31 penalty minutes. His appearances at the top flight were intercut with 27 points in 44 AHL games, and three points in six games of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

A one-way deal at this point in his career seems to be an acknowledgement of Hayden’s impact on the AHL roster, moreso than an indication that he could return to the NHL full-time next season. Either way, he’ll be playing in his 10th pro season in 2025-26, and will offer Seattle a hard-hitting forward to round out their depth chart.

Islanders, Jets Explored Brock Nelson Trade At Deadline

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The New York Islanders landed a Trade Deadline steal when they sent aging veteran Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche for top prospect Calum Ritchie, defenseman Oliver Kylington, and draft picks in the 2026 first-round and 2028 third-round. But new reports have shared that New York could’ve found a jackpot return even if their offer with Colorado fell through. Marco D’Amico of Responsible Gaming reports that the Winnipeg Jets were also aggressive in their pursuit of acquiring Nelson – and were ready to offer a package very similar to Colorado’s. D’Amico specifies that Winnipeg would have offered up one of Brad Lambert, Brayden Yager, or Colby Barlow in the return, in addition to future draft capital.

New York can rest happy with how things ended up, but acquiring one of Winnipeg’s top names would have been just as lucrative. All three prospects offer their own upside, led by 2023 14th-overall pick Brayden Yager, who scored 82 points in just 54 WHL games this season. He also chipped in 14 points in 16 playoff games – but fell short of the championship run he went on with the Moose Jaw Warriors last season. Yager is likely headed for the pros next season, and could rapidly rise up Winnipeg’s depth chart with a hot start to his career.

Lambert is another top prospect, though expectations around him have cooled slightly after he scored 35 points in 61 AHL games this season – 20 fewer than he managed in 64 games last year. Lambert’s a dynamic and skilled forward, but is still a bit small for pro competition. He offers plenty of upside, but will need to first rediscover the scoring he posted last year.

Barlow is perhaps the most unheralded of the bunch after wrapping up his age-20 season in the OHL. He scored 32 goals and 61 points in 62 games this year. That mark continued his quiet slide down the OHL leaderboard – after he posted 40 goals and 58 points in 50 games last year, and 46 goals and 79 points in 59 games of his draft year in 2022-23. But Barlow intercut that with three points in three AHL games at the end of last season, and could translate as a hard-nosed scorer with pro-level physicality.

But while all three prospects carry reason for upside and reason for question, D’Amico specified that a deal with the Jets fell through because Nelson was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause to head to Canada. He instead waived it to land in Colorado, earning the Islanders the rights to Ritchie just a few months after he made the NHL roster directly out of training camp. Ritchie played in seven games and scored his first NHL goal before returning to the OHL for a dominant season. He posted 70 points in 47 regular season games, and 25 points in 21 playoff games, while serving as the clear-cut top center on an Oshawa Generals lineup that made it all the way to the OHL Championship.

Blackhawks Officially Hire Michael Peca, Retain Anders Sorensen And Jimmy Waite

at CDT | by 4 Comments

New Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill had his introductory press conference early on Tuesday. During interviews, he shared with media that the Blackhawks will retain Anders Sorensen as an assistant coach and Jimmy Waite as a goalie coach, per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio. Blashill also shared that Chicago has hired former NHL forward Michael Peca as an assistant coach. The team later confirmed Sorensen and Peca’s roles in a press release.

This news most notably captures the next step in Peca’s growing coaching career. The 51-year-old spent nine of his 14 pro seasons in New York – captaining the Buffalo Sabres for four seasons and New York Islanders for two. He returned to the Empire State after retiring from the NHL, and took up the mantle as the general manager and head coach of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres in 2011-12. Peca stayed in that role for eight years before deciding to return to the pros in the 2020-21 season. His first step was a Development Coach role with the Washington Capitals, but Peca moved to an assistant role with the AHL’s Rochester Americans in 2021-22. He spent two years with Rochester, then stepped up to an assistant role with the New York Rangers over the last two seasons. Now, Peca will take his coaching talents away from the East coast for the first time in his career by joining a budding coaching staff in Chicago.

Peca will join like company in Anders Sorensen, who spent the better part of a decade coaching dominant rosters around Chicago youth hockey. Sorensen intercut those AAA-coaching roles with four years as an assistant coach in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league, and joined the Blackhawks’ staff as a Development Coach in the 2014-15 season. He stuck in the role for four seasons before stepping up to an assistant role with the Rockford IceHogs in 2018-19. Sorensen was promoted to the head coach role two seasons later, then earned another promotion to the NHL head coaching role last year. He led the Blackhawks to a 17-30-9 record – but showed enough strength to earn an assistant coach role with Team Sweden at this year’s World Championship, and retain an assistant role in Chicago.

Through the mix of two assistant coaching hires, fans shouldn’t forget about the continued impact of former Blackhawks goaltender Jimmy Waite – who will retain his role through a third coaching change. Waite just wrapped up his 10th season as Chicago’s goaltending coach. His tenure started off with star Corey Crawford, and will continue a decade later with budding star Spencer Knight. Waite was originally drafted eighth-overall in the 1987 NHL Draft. He played in 106 games and 11 seasons in the NHL, and recorded a career-long .871 save percentage and 28-41-12 record. He also spent 233 games and eight seasons in the IHL, where he set a .909 save percentage. Waite will be in welcome company serving under Blashill – a former NCAA Division-1 goaltender who started his career as a goalie coach.

Kraken Sign Tyson Jugnauth To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Seattle Kraken have signed 2022 fourth-round pick Tyson Jugnauth to a three-year, entry-level contract. Jugnauth recently concluded his second season with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. He was expected to move to Michigan State University this summer, but will instead turn pro in the Kraken organization with this deal.

Jugnauth took home the BCHL’s ’Top Defender’ award in his draft year of 2021-22, after posting 41 assists and 50 points in 52 games with the West Kelowna Warriors. He showed plenty of talent as a 200-foot playmaker, and carried his talents to the University of Wisconsin following his #100th-overall selection in the draft. The Badgers awarded Jugnauth with third-pairing minutes as a freshman and the dwindle in role seemed to impact him. He recorded a measly 15 points and minus-20 through 32 games. Those underclass struggles continued through 13 games of his sophomore season, marked by just two points in his first 13 games. That decrease sparked Jugnauth to make a rare mid-season move from college to the WHL.

That decision paid off almost instantly – as Jugnauth quickly rediscovered his two-way impact and won out a premier lineup role in the return to juniors. He recorded 41 points and a plus-40 through 41 games of his first WHL season, while backing lineup stars like Nate Danielson and Luca Cagnoni. Jugnauth took on a heap of responsibility when both players opted to turn pro last summer – and he matched the bill well. He scored 13 goals and 89 points in 65 games this season, good for second on Portland in scoring and enough to earn Jugnauth the WHL’s ’Defenseman of the Year’ award.

Jugnauth will now try to use the momentum of an award-winning year to ramp his jump to the pro flight. He’s a nimble, speedy, and deceptive defender with the awareness to make smart plays on both sides of the puck. But a 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame could be a bit frail for the AHL – and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jugnauth take a bit before he’s fully adjusted to pros. Current NCAA bylaws would restrict his ability to continue on to college this summer – though his eligibility will be worth monitoring as the NHL continues to flesh out a budding relationship between the CHL and college hockey.

Snapshots: Ylönen, Lipinski, Concussion Protocol

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Former Montreal Canadiens winger Jesse Ylönen is reportedly considering signing a deal in the SHL this summer, per Johan Svensson of Swedish news site Expressen (subscription required). Svensson didn’t specify what club the Finnish wing could be headed to. Nonetheless, the potential for a move seems high after Ylönen spent a full season in the AHL for the first time in his four-year career in North America. His minor-league stint was split between the Syracuse Crunch and Milwaukee Admirals, sparked by a late-February trade that swapped Ylönen and fellow minor-leaguer Anthony Angello.

Ylönen was slightly less productive in the Midwest – netting 14 points in 26 games for Milwaukee, including playoffs, after totaling 25 points in 47 games with Syracuse. The full-year total of 39 points in 73 games is far below the scoring pace Ylönen managed through his first two seasons in the AHL in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He spent both seasons with Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, and scored 36 points in 52 games and 32 points in 39 games respectively. That latter hot streak earned Ylönen his NHL rookie year during the 2022-23 season – and he managed a modest 16 points in 37 games to show for it. Montreal responded to positive numbers by keeping Ylönen all the lineup for the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign – but the upside bet didn’t pan out. Ylönen managed just eight points in 59 NHL games last season, and landed in the Lightning organization after Montreal declined a qualifying offer at the start of last summer.

Ylönen could be a proper match in Sweden. He grew up in Finland’s youth hockey program and played pro games in each of the country’s top two leagues. That includes totaling a combined 56 points in 127 games across three seasons in the Liiga, before he came over to North America. The SHL has certainly risen above its peers this season, but Ylönen could be well equipped for the challenge after finding, and then losing, his scoring touch in the NHL and AHL.

Other quick notes from around the league:

  • Calgary Flames prospect Jaden Lipinski is headed to the University of Maine next season, per the club’s Instagram. Lipinski will be one of the very few NCAA players with pro hockey experience – after playing one game at the end of the 2023-24 season, and two games this season, in the AHL. He recorded no notable stat changes. Lipinski is still eligible to attend college because all three games were played on an amateur try-out with the Calgary Wranglers, which kept him from earning any compensation for the matchups. NCAA revokes collegiate eligibility once players accept payment, or promise of payment, from a pro sports league. Since he didn’t, Lipinski will enter the league as a junior player who played up one year, akin to Vancouver Canucks prospect Tom Willander, who played two SHL games before joining Boston University last season. The Maine Black Bears will get a hardy addition with this news. Lipinski scored 58 points in 59 WHL games this season, and seemed to improve his ability to play physical and productive hockey. Those are the hallmarks of Maine’s style, and should create a golden stage for the Flames prospect to continue growing.
  • NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly shared that the league is satisfied with how the concussion protocol has performed this season in an interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Daly shared that the league has embedded due diligence into the process, even when players don’t formally enter the protocol. He shared that, with an additional layer of consideration, he feels the league has been able to properly answer any open questions about the process. Rates of concussions have risen and fallen in the NHL over time, but concerns around long-term effects of head injuries continues to ring louder. News site NPR published an op-ed on the link between lengthy hockey careers and CTE in December, sparking newfound debate over the effectiveness of the NHL’s concussion spotting.

Laurent Dauphin Remains In Canadiens Organization On Two-Year AHL Deal

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Longtime farmhand Laurent Dauphin will remain with the Canadiens organization on a two-year contract with AHL Laval, the team announced. He’s still technically an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any NHL team, but if all goes to plan, the former Habs and Coyotes center will continue to provide a veteran presence to play with Montreal’s minor-league prospects.

Dauphin, 30, hasn’t suited up for an NHL game since making 21 appearances with Arizona in the 2022-23 campaign. He went to Switzerland the following year and, after a nice year with HC Ambri-Piotta, returned to North America on a minor-league deal with Laval for 2024-25.

Historically a strong offensive presence in the minors, Dauphin picked up where he left off in his return. He finished second on the Rocket in scoring with 26-30–56 in 63 games, along with a team-high +25 rating.

Extending on an AHL deal means Dauphin remains ineligible for a call-up to the Montreal roster, although they can easily sign him to a two-way deal if they want him up. He’ll need to clear waivers to return to Laval after they do so, however.

A 2013 second-round pick by Phoenix, Dauphin has spent most of his professional career with the now-defunct Coyotes franchise. His one season with NHL appearances in Montreal (2021-22) was the best of his career, though, making a career-high 38 appearances for the Habs in a depth role while scoring four goals and 12 points.

Flyers Sign Oscar Eklind To One-Year Extension

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Oscar Eklind to a one-year contract extension. His deal is a one-way contract with a flat $950K salary. Eklind was set to become restricted-free agents this summer.

This is great news for Eklind, who will get his stay in Philadelphia reaffirmed after playing his first season in the AHL. The six-foot-four winger scored five goals and 22 points in 64 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, after joining the Flyers organization from Sweden last summer. Eklind had spent the prior nine seasons playing at various levels of Swedish pros. He made his SHL debut at the age of 17 and played through his first 15 pro games between 2016-17 and 2017-18. Without any pro points through those appearances, Eklind was moved to Pantern IK of Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan – the second-tier pro league.

Eklind scored six points in 28 games in his first year in the HockeyAllsvenskan, but grew to 30 points in 52 games just four seasons later. That was enough to earn a move back to the SHL, and to Brynas IF, where Eklind found a bit more footing at the top level. He managed 30 points in 97 games and two seasons with Brynas, then capped off his time in Sweden with 28 points in 48 games with Lulea HF last season. He’s a lumbering, heavy-hitting winger who finds impacts away from the scoresheet. Those attributes, and a one-way deal, could be enough to earn Eklind an NHL debut next season.

Capitals Recall Clay Stevenson, Charlie Lindgren Questionable

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

10:00 AM: The Capitals’ optional morning skate revealed a bit more about their call-up of Stevenson. Expected Game 5 backup Charlie Lindgren is dealing with a personal matter that could hinder his ability to suit up on Thursday, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. If that’s the case, Washington will run with Thompson starting and one of Stevenson or Mitchell Gibson in the backup role.

9:00 AM: The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Clay Stevenson from the AHL in preparation for Thursday’s Game 5 matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. Washington is one loss away from being eliminated. With the Hershey Bears not playing until Friday, AHL backup Stevenson will join the Capitals as an emergency third-string goalie for the must-win contest.

It’s unlikely that Stevenson will get near the lineup with Logan Thompson holding a firm grip over the starting role. Thompson is expected to receive his 10th-straight playoff start on Thursday. He was red-hot against the Montreal Canadiens in Round One, posting a 0.923 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against-average as Washington bounced Montreal in five games. Thompson’s numbers have slipped slightly against Carolina – down to a .913 and 2.75 goals-against-average, even despite only allowing three goals on 61 shots through the first two games of the series. But even with the dip, Thompson’s numbers are strong – and will keep him unwavering in the starter’s crease.

Stevenson has served behind Hunter Shepard through the start of the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs. He posted a .875 save percentage and 6-4 win in the sole appearance he’s made so far – though hasn’t been able to get over the .850 save percentage and 2-2 record of Shepard. Stevenson posted an 18-8-5 record, .888 save percentage, and 2.94 goals-against-average through the AHL regular season. He also made his NHL debut this season – and recorded five goals on 33 shots and a loss. Stevenson will likely be reassigned before Hershey’s next game on Friday, though that could change should Washington hold onto their season for one more game.

Metro Notes: Palát, Berard, Hollowell

at CDT | by 3 Comments

In a recent article from Todd Cordell of Infernal Access, he opines that the New Jersey Devils should look to move on from veteran winger Ondřej Palát this offseason. Whether through a buyout or trade, Cordell believes the salary cap savings could be better used to improve other areas.

Cordell’s argument is credible. Palát is making $6MM in 2025-26 and 2026-27 with a full no-movement clause and a modified 10-team no-trade clause. He hasn’t scored more than 31 points in a season since joining the Devils, and his ice time has dropped significantly over the last three years.

Assuming New Jersey is unable to find a trade partner, given the heavy trade protection, it’s likely the Devils buy out the remaining two years of Palát’s contract if they no longer want him on the team. Using PuckPedia’s buyout calculator, New Jersey would be on the hook for $3.533MM in 2025-26, $2.533MM in 2026-27, and $1.483MM in 2027-28 and 2028-29. Aside from Luke Hughes, the Devils don’t have many high-end players to retain this offseason. Should they need the extra cap savings to pursue a notable free agent, buying out Palát’s contract may be the best route.

More notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, New York Rangers forward Brett Berard has been removed from Team USA in the IIHF World Championships due to “physical limitations”. Neither Walker nor team representatives shared specifics regarding Berard’s injury, but he’s expected to be ready for the Rangers’ training camp in September.
  • In his recurring segment analyzing players within the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review recently looked at defenseman Mac Hollowell of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Hollowell led all WBS defensemen in scoring this year with one goal and 31 points, but injuries limited him to only 56 games. Despite his offensive maturity in the AHL, there’s Rorabaugh doesn’t believe the Penguins will retain him, given they never recalled him this season.

Oilers Recall Collin Delia

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With Calvin Pickard remaining unavailable for the Oilers due to an undisclosed injury, they’ve opted to bring up some extra depth.  Per the AHL’s transactions log, they’ve recalled netminder Collin Delia from AHL Bakersfield.

The 30-year-old spent the season with the Condors after signing a one-year, two-way deal last summer, not getting any recalls to Edmonton.  Delia played in 25 games with Bakersfield, putting up a 2.81 GAA and a .905 SV%, a significant improvement on the 3.55 and .872 marks he had with AHL Manitoba last season.

Delia also has 52 career NHL appearances under his belt over parts of five seasons.  The first four of those came with Chicago but his most significant opportunity at the top level came back in 2022-23 with Vancouver when he got into 20 games, posting a 3.28 GAA and a .882 SV%.

Delia is now the fourth goalie up with the Oilers, joining Pickard, Stuart Skinner, and Olivier Rodrigue, who was Delia’s netminding partner with Bakersfield this season.  Delia will likely serve as the emergency third goalie in case of injury until Pickard is cleared to return.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top