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Stars Recall Forward Mavrik Bourque

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The Dallas Stars have recalled top forward prospect Mavrik Bourque to the NHL roster (Twitter link). Bourque currently carries a seven-point lead on the AHL’s scoring title, with 26 goals and 72 points through 66 games. It’s a title he’s hung onto all season, battling for it with partner-in-crime Logan Stankoven prior to his recall. Bourque now gets a call-up of his own, marking the first in-season call-up of his career.

Bourque has been electric this season, continuing to dominate AHL scoring after posting 20 goals and 47 points in 70 games as a rookie last season. He formed a formidable duo with Stankoven this season, serving as the star prospect’s centerman and building a tempo that opponents simply couldn’t handle. But Bourque has proven plenty effective without him as well, boasting 17 points in 19 games since Stankoven left the lineup. He’s a feisty centerman that doesn’t shy away from the low slot or corners, even despite his smaller frame. Bourque compliments that with a great understanding of how to exploit space high in the zone, and a strong ability to work east-to-west just as well as he works north-to-south.

Dallas drafted Bourque with the 30th-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Every pick ahead of Bourque has so far made their NHL debut, with 29th-overall Brendan Brisson becoming the latest to break into the league. Bourque will look to continue the order and crack the lineup in Dallas’ final six games of the season.

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.

Blue Jackets Recall Trey Fix-Wolansky On Emergency Loan

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled forward Trey Fix-Wolansky on an emergency loan (Twitter link). Head coach Pascal Vincent shared on Wednesday that the team would recall Fix-Wolansky if Justin Danforth was still feeling under the weather. Danforth missed the team’s Wednesday practice, but skated at an optional skate on Thursday, leaving him as a game-time decision per the Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger (Twitter link).

Fix-Wolansky has been a force with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, with a team-leading 24 goals and 58 points in 54 games. He has an 18-point lead on the scoring title in Cleveland and is chasing the league title, now tied for sixth in points across the AHL. It’s been a continuation of his fantastic performance from last season, when he managed 29 goals and 71 points in 61 games. In fact, Fix-Wolansky has proven effective at nearly every level – putting up 197 points across 220 career AHL games after scoring 245 points in 206 games across three years in the WHL. But he is still searching for that scoring groove at the top level, with just four points in 24 career NHL games.

Fix-Wolansky will be playing in a career-high 10th game on Thursday, rejoining the Columbus roster after a March 23rd assignment. The Blue Jackets struggled last time Fix-Wolansky was in the lineup, posting a measly 1-5-2 record and getting outscored 14-to-30. He’ll now have to compete with rookies James Malatesta and Mikael Pyyhtia for a lineup spot. Both rookies are still looking for their first NHL point, through four and 10 games respectively.

Senators Recall Jiri Smejkal

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The Ottawa Senators have recalled forward Jiri Smejkal from the Belleville Senators (Twitter link). Smejkal has been between rosters all season long, rejoining the AHL on March 13th and scoring three points in the five games since.

This move now marks Smejkal’s sixth call-up of the season, an impressive feat for the first-year North American pro. Smejkal signed a one-year, $950K entry-level deal with Ottawa this summer, moving to Canada after spending nine seasons across various European pro leagues. He’s quickly slotted into the role of de facto fill-in, despite just 22 points through his first 45 AHL games. His NHL performances haven’t been any more exciting, boasting just one assist in 12 games. He’s clearly still adjusting to North America, scoring significantly less than he did in the pair of 40-point seasons he posted in the SHL and Liiga over the last two years.

Even in the absence of scoring, Smejkal has brought a stout and professional frame – standing at a sturdy 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds. Ottawa will again lean on that frame to make an impact, as Angus Crookshank joins a long list of absent forwards with an undisclosed injury. Ottawa is also missing Joshua Norris, Zack MacEwen, Matthew Highmore, and Rourke Chartier. Their absences have tested Ottawa’s depth, but Smejkal isn’t their last line of defense – with top prospects Zack Ostapchuk and Roby Jarventie still in the AHL. Both players have received a half-dozen NHL games this season but Jarventie is the only one to make the scoresheet, managing one assist. Smejkal has averaged under nine minutes of ice time this season and is likely to manage a minimal role once again. But if he isn’t sharp, he could lose time to a top AHL prospect on a Senators team well out of the playoff picture.

College Notes: Graf, Schlaine, Bradley, Basse, Grainger

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Winger Collin Graf is widely expected to sign his first professional contract in the coming days.  Regarded as one of the top college free agents available, most of the league had made inquiries and he’s in the process of whittling down his list.  To that end, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that the Rangers are no longer in the mix for the 21-year-old.  Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Michael Russo adds (Twitter link) that the Wild are believed to still have a chance at signing him.  Graf is coming off another strong season at Quinnipiac where he recorded 22 goals and 27 assists in 34 games.  Wherever he signs, it’s quite likely he burns the first season of his entry-level deal this year; he’d be eligible to play down the stretch in the regular season but not in the playoffs.

Other news from around the college ranks:

  • Devils prospect Artem Schlaine has entered the transfer portal, relays Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a fifth-round pick by New Jersey back in 2020 (130th overall) and has spent four seasons in college, two with the University of Connecticut and the last two with Northern Michigan University.  Schlaine had a bit of a down year offensively compared to a year ago but still had 23 points in 27 games this season, good for second on the Wildcats in scoring.  The transfer means New Jersey should retain his rights for one more summer.
  • Red Wings prospect Chase Bradley is looking to test free agency this summer, Divver reports in a separate tweet. The 22-year-old was a seventh-rounder back in 2020 and while he has only played three years of college, he’s four years removed from being drafted and thus can leave school to test the open market.  Bradley had 11 goals and 11 assists with the University of Connecticut this season in his junior year.
  • Blackhawks goalie prospect Dominic Basse has transferred to St. Lawrence, the school announced (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a sixth-rounder of Chicago in 2019, going 167th overall.  Basse played his first two years at Colorado College before spending the last two at St. Cloud State.  Last season, Basse posted a 2.75 GAA with a .896 SV% in 25 games and with Ben Kraws turning pro and signing with Dallas, he should have a shot at a heavy workload for his final collegiate campaign.
  • San Jose’s AHL affiliate announced the signing of Luke Grainger to a tryout agreement. The 24-year-old had a very successful senior year with Western Michigan, posting 14 points and 34 assists in 38 games, leading some to wonder if he’d get an NHL contract.  It doesn’t appear that will be coming just yet and while he’s on the Sharks’ affiliate, they don’t hold his NHL rights with this signing.

Lightning Recall Goalie Matt Tomkins On Emergency Loan

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled goaltender Matt Tomkins on an emergency loan (Twitter link). Tomkins will fill-in for Jonas Johansson, who missed the team’s Monday game with a lower-body injury. Tampa had to utilize an emergency back-up goalie in his absence, dressing former NA3HL goalie Kyle Konin. It was the second time that Konin has suited up for an NHL team, having served as an EBUG for the St. Louis Blues in 2021.

This is Tomkins’ first call-up of the season, after making the Lightning roster out of training camp. He played in just three games through the first two months of the season, while the Lightning awaited the return of an injured Andrei Vasilevskiy. The appearances were Tomkins’ first NHL games and he performed modestly, allowing 10 goals on 90 shots (.889 save percentage) en route to one win. Tampa placed Tomkins on waivers and assigned him to the AHL in late November. He’s since rediscovered his groove, recording 15 wins and a .904 save percentage in 29 games with the Syracuse Crunch. He’s served as the team’s starting goaltender, though closely paced by Hugo Alnefelt, who has a .902 save percentage in 27 games of his own.

Tomkins returned to North America ahead of this season, after spending the last two seasons in Sweden’s SHL. He played with both Frölunda HC and Färjestad BK, managing an impressive 39 wins and .910 save percentage in a combined 65 games. The Swedish performance was a strong show of strength for Tomkins, who had previously spent four seasons bouncing between the minor leagues in the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Tampa has Tomkins under contract through the end of next season, on a league-minimum $775K salary. And while call-ups like this one certainly present opportunity, it’s likely that the 29-year-old netminder continues to serve as Tampa’s de facto injury fill-in.

Maple Leafs Place Mitch Marner On LTIR

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March 31: Toronto assigned Rifai back to AHL Toronto on Sunday, per a team announcement. He did not play in Saturday’s 3-0 win over the Sabres. The Maple Leafs now have enough cap space to activate Marner from LTIR ahead of his anticipated return later this week.

March 30: The Maple Leafs have made a pair of roster moves heading into their game tonight in Buffalo.  The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Mitch Marner has been placed on LTIR retroactive to March 7th for what they’ve termed as roster management purposes.  In doing so, they opened up enough salary cap space to recall defenseman Marshall Rifai from AHL Toronto.

Marner has been out since March 7th with an ankle injury, a significant blow to Toronto’s lineup.  Before the injury, the 26-year-old was doing quite well, collecting 25 goals and 51 assists in 62 games, a point-per-game pace that would have given him a legitimate opportunity to reach the 100-point mark after coming up just short on that front in each of the last two seasons.

As part of the LTIR requirements, a player must miss 10 games and 24 days before being eligible to be activated.  Tonight’s game will be the tenth game that Marner misses while the 24-day mark will be reached on Sunday.  It was noted yesterday that Marner is expected back at practice on Tuesday and this placement will not affect those plans.

As for Rifai, this is his second recall of the season after being up for a few days in February.  During that stretch, he did get into a pair of games with the Maple Leafs, his first taste of NHL action.  The 26-year-old has spent most of the season in the minors with the Marlies, picking up 17 points in 49 contests.

The Leafs have been hit hard with injuries on the blueline in recent days with Morgan Rielly, Joel Edmundson, and Timothy Liljegren all being banged up.  It appears Rifai’s recall will serve as a hedge in case another veteran blueliner is unable to go against the Sabres.

Snapshots: Tanev, Bunting, Butler, Aston-Reese

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The Dallas Stars could be without their newest defenseman for an extended time, with Trade Deadline acquisition Chris Tanev leaving the team’s Saturday night game early after taking an elbow to the head from Seattle Kraken Adam Larsson. Larsson received a five-minute major and game misconduct for the hit, while Tanev exited after 17 minutes of ice time. Tanev will be re-evaluated on Sunday, with the Stars hoping for an update early this week, per Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning Star (Web link).

Tanev is 12 games into his time with the Stars, recording one goal, two points, and 10 penalty minutes. The Stars sent away prospect Artem Grushnikov, a conditional second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to land Tanev – and they’re getting their money’s worth, with Tanev stepping into an immediate impact role and averaging over 18 minutes of ice time each game. He’s served as much-needed depth behind star Miro Heiskanen, elevating the impact of depth defenseman Esa Lindell. Dallas would normally turn towards Jani Hakanpaa in the event of Tanev’s absence, though he’s also bearing through a day-to-day injury. The Stars aren’t carrying any other defenders, meaning they’ll need to make a call-up if neither Tanev nor Hakanpaa can go.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Michael Bunting left the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Saturday night game due to illness, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed after the game (Twitter link). Bunting played in nearly 10 minutes of ice time before exiting, with a -1 representing his only stat change. He’s found a strong scoring groove through his first 12 games in Pittsburgh, with three goals and seven points – though he’s still finding where he fits best in the lineup. There’s been no update on Bunting’s availability moving forward, though healthy scratch Emil Bemstrom is available to slot in if needed.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent right-winger Cameron Butler back to the minor leagues, after awarding him with his NHL debut on Saturday (Twitter link). He played in just one shift – staying on the ice for 54 seconds – during the eventual shootout-win. Butler, who is in his first year of pro hockey, will now return to the AHL, where he’s already managed two goals, eight points, and 63 penalty minutes in 46 games. He signed with the Blue Jackets as an undrafted free-agent in March of 2023.
  • Zach Aston-Reese has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Detroit Red Wings after being recalled on Friday (Twitter link). Aston-Reese didn’t appear in any NHL action during the call-up, making his sole game in December his only NHL game of the season. He’s managed 13 goals, 28 points, and 47 penalty minutes in 56 AHL games this season – his first year in the league since 2018-19.

Avalanche Recall Chris Wagner On Emergency Loan

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The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward Chris Wagner on an emergency loan (Twitter link). It’s Wagner’s third call-up to the Avalanche lineup since signing a one-year, two-way deal with the club this summer. He’s served as an NHL extra forward for much of the season, playing in nine NHL games and 17 AHL games – with nine points combined between the leagues.

This season has marked the most Wagner has played in the NHL since the 2020-21 campaign. He’s been a minor-league staple ever since, playing in 62 games in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. And while he did manage a career-high 31 points in the minors last season, Wagner’s role has still come largely through bruising, with 124 penalty minutes across 141 AHL games over the last three seasons. That’s a role he’s carried to the NHL as well, recording his 200th NHL penalty minute with a Leap Day fight against Chicago’s Reese Johnson. Wagner managed the feat in just 369 career games, also adding 37 goals and 64 points in those appearances.

Colorado now brings Wagner back to the top level, adding depth in the wake of a lower-body injury to Valeri Nichushkin and an illness to Joel Kiviranta. Both players are listed as day-to-day and have missed multiple games. Nichushkin won’t immediately travel with Colorado on their upcoming three-game road trip, per NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Twitter link). Wagner’s recall could also spell bad news for defenseman Sean Walker, who is questionable for the team’s next game with an upper-body injury after leaving the team’s Saturday game early.

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