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Snapshots: Badinka, NHL Draft, Rutta

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The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned defense prospect Dominik Badinka to the AHL after the conclusion of his season in Sweden’s SHL, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Badinka finished the SHL season with five points across 57 games during the Malmo Redhawks regular-season and postseason. That mark sits one point higher than he managed in 33 SHL games last sesaon. He also improved his plus-minus from minus-nine to minus-five from last season to this season, and totaled 18 penalty minutes on the year.

Carolina drafted Badinka with the 34th-overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft and signed him to his entry-level contract just over two weeks later. His plan was always to return to the SHL for his age-19 season, but Badinka will get a fast track to North American pros with this news. He was never particularly known for his scoring – though he did record 13 points in 17 games in Sweden’s junior league last year. Insteead, Badinka’s defining traits are his poised and gritty physicality and ability to shutdown opponents as they enter the defensive zone. He continued to round out both of those traits this season, while getting a hardy chance at an everyday pro role. His gritty, hard-nosed style should work much better in the more condensed play of the AHL. He’ll get a chance to prove that with the Chicago Wolves, who have already clinched a berth into the AHL postseason.

More notes from around the league:

  • The San Jose Sharks have mathematically clinched last spot in the NHL and earned the top odds at the upcoming draft lottery per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. The Sharks will hold a 25.5 percent chance at securing first-overall for the second consecutive season, while the Chicago Blackhawks will hold a 13.5 percent chance and the Nashville Predators an 11.5 percent chance. Many have claimed OHL defenseman Matthew Schaefer as the consensus top pick, though he has only played in 17 games this season due to a collarbone fracture. If not Schaefer, the top pick is likely to go to OHL exceptional status forward Michael Misa or Boston College top center James Hagens. The NHL Draft lottery is set to be held on May 7th.
  • Sticking in San Jose, defenseman Jan Rutta expressed his desire to re-sign with the Sharks to Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News on Sunday. Rutta is set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer and told Pashelka that he’s happy to have a chance to slot into San Jose’s lineup routinely. The 34-year-old defenseman has recorded nine points and a minus-three in 53 games this season, while typically filling a third-pair role. His plus-minus is the second-highest among Sharks defenders with at least 20 games played this season, behind only Jake Walman’s minus-one. Walman was traded to the Edmonton Oilers at the Trade Deadline.

Kings Sign Jared Wright To Two-Year Contract

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The Los Angeles Kings have signed 2022 sixth-round draft pick Jared Wright to a two-year, entry-level contract per NHL.com’s Zach Dooley. The deal will begin in the 2025-26 season, while Wright will finish this season on the AHL’s Ontario Reign, per the AHL transaction log. Wright will turn pro after wrapping up his third year at the University of Denver.

Wright was a standout two-way forward over his years with the Pioneers. He filled a quaint role on the National Championship-winning 2023 squad, recording eight goals and 12 points in 34 games of his freshman season. But persisting through a depth role paid off in his sophomore season last year, when Wright jumped up to 15 goals and 25 points in 44 games while rotating through the team’s middle-six. Wright ranked fifth on the team in goals that year, while making a strong impact on play outside of the offensive end. His scoring fell back to earth just a bit this year, to the tune of nine goals and 17 points in 44 games this season – though his strong two-way impact remained clear.

Wright will conclude his collegiate career with 64 points in 122 games – though those low marks are a bit deceiving. Nearly every single point he scored at even-strength was a primary point – 49 of 52 points over the last three seasons to be exact. That’s an almost-shockingly impressive mark for the 22-year-old, Burnsville, Minnesota native – who was relatively young for his class. Wright excelled at shutting down opponents on one end of the ice, and controlling the puck over the blue-line and creating chances on the other end. He’ll look to hang onto those talents through the move to pro hockey, while hopefully discovering a bit more scoring along the way.

Predators’ Ryan Ufko Recalled, Set To Make NHL Debut

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The Nashville Predators have recalled defense prospect Ryan Ufko and are expected to award him his NHL debut on Monday per Nick Kieser of Nashville’s 102.5 The Game. It is the first call-up of Ufko’s pro career.

Nashville drafted Ufko with in the fourth-round of the 2021 NHL Draft, after a standout year with the USHL’s Clark Cup Championship-winning Chicago Steel. Ufko followed a breakout juniors performance and draft selection with three seasons playing for the University of Massachusetts. He carried over his red-hot play right away, netting 31 points in 37 appearances – just two points shy of Scott Morrow’s mark for the lead in scoring among Minutemen defensemen. Alongside Morrow, Ufko served in a top role for UMass as they chased a Hockey East championship.

Ufko’s scoring pace took a slight dip in his sophomore season – when he tallied just 24 points in 32 games – though he did manage to grow from five goals to eight goals. He continued that growth while finding a new gear in his junior year, ending the season with 10 goals and 26 points in 37 games. That scoring coincided with a noticeable full-ice impact and helped Ufko push his squad to a conference semi-final exit. His game was noticeably more energetic, confident, and – above all else for the five-foot-10 defender – physical than in years prior. Nashville opted to strike while the iron was hot, signing Ufko to his entry-level contract and assigning him to the AHL at the end of the UMass season.

That decision proved immediately fruitful. Ufko has found another step in the pro ranks, with six points in nine regular season games and 10 points in 15 playoff games to close out the AHL’s 2023-24 season. He’s continued to grow into form this season, netting eight goals and 29 points in 71 games while earning more-and-more ice time as the year has gone on. Ufko certainly doesn’t have the explosive scoring of some top defense prospects, but the momentum he’s gained in Milwaukee has been admirable. With their season effectively lost, Nashville will give Ufko a chance to continue his momentum into the top flight. He becomes the seventh rookie to make his NHL debut with Nashville this season.

Sharks Recall Daniil Gushchin, Luca Cagnoni, Jimmy Schuldt

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Call it even more of a youth movement for the Sharks. They’ve recalled winger Daniil Gushchin and defensemen Luca Cagnoni and Jimmy Schuldt from AHL San Jose ahead of their final two games of the season, per a team announcement.

The promotions for the youngsters and the veteran Schuldt come amid a late-season rash of injuries. They’ll likely be dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen tonight against the Canucks after recent call-up Thomas Bordeleau sustained an undisclosed injury last night against the Flames, per Max Miller of The Hockey News. The 23-year-old, who was making his season debut, joins a long list of injured Sharks that also includes Klim Kostin, Cameron Lund, and Zack Ostapchuk on offense and Vincent Desharnais, Mario Ferraro, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Jack Thompson on the back end.

San Jose’s wave of late-season injuries poses a challenge, but the team will find a silver lining in their chance to ice more up-and-coming talents. Gushchin should immediately fill in Bordeleau’s role in the team’s bottom-six, giving the Russian standout a chance to find his first NHL goal of the season. Gushchin made the Sharks roster out of training camp but was quickly assigned to the minors after netting just one assist in 10 games. He quickly returned to the world of top-AHL scoring with the Barracuda, ultimately recording 27 goals and 48 points in 54 games on the season.

Those numbers rank Gushchin second on the team’s offense in goals and points. It’s an ever-so-slight downtick from the 54 points he scored last season, though that total also ranked Gushchin second on the Barracuda’s offense. He’s managed at least 40 points in each of the last three AHL seasons – the first of his pro career – but has struggled to translate that scoring to the top flight. Through 16 career appearances in the NHL, Gushchin has just two goals and five points. This recall will mark a chance for Gushchin to buck his low-scoring trend before the Sharks’ season comes to an end.

Meanwhile, Cagnoni and Schuldt will once again battle for minutes on the Sharks’ blue-line. The pair have both seen routine call-ups this season and offer very different skillsets. Cagnoni led all AHL rookie defensemen in scoring this sesaon with a proud 49 points in 62 games. He’s a dominant puck-mover and playmaker, but only managed one assist in the first five games of his NHL career earlier this season. Schuldt – the captain of the Barracuda – is much more a stay-at-home, physical defenseman. That point is made evident by his 21 points in 62 AHL games, and no points in six NHL games, this season. Schuldt has become a top defensive-defenseman at the minor-league level, and held onto strong lineup roles through stints with five different AHL clubs over the last six seasons. Both Cagnoni and Schuldt are expected to step into the lineup for San Jose’s final games, giving both players a chance to chase the first goal of their NHL careers.

Minor Transactions: 4/13/25

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As is often the case at this time of year, there has been an influx of minor roster moves.  Teams are shutting players down for the season or trying to give someone a game off with the playoffs approaching, leading to a busier shuffle between the NHL and AHL than usual.  Here’s a rundown of today’s moves:

  • The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Dakota Mermis from AHL Toronto on an emergency basis. On Saturday, the Maple Leafs played short one defenseman, qualifying them for a cap-free emergency recall.  It’s the second promotion for Mermis since he rejoined Toronto following his waiver claim from Utah back in February.  Mermis has played in 32 games for the Marlies this season, notching seven assists.
  • The Jets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled center Dominic Toninato from AHL Manitoba. He’s taking the place of Nikolaj Ehlers on the roster after he exited Saturday’s game following a collision with a linesman.  Toninato has been held off the scoresheet in four games with Winnipeg while adding 18 goals and 18 assists in 60 appearances with the Moose.
  • The Kraken have returned forward Ryan Winterton to AHL Coachella Valley, per a team announcement (Twitter link). The 21-year-old picked up an assist in a dozen games with Seattle and will now return to the Firebirds to get ready for their playoff run.  Winterton has 18 goals and 19 assists in 55 AHL contests this season.
  • After making his season debut yesterday, Wild defenseman Cameron Crotty is heading back to the minors, per a team announcement (Twitter link). He’ll be ceding his roster spot to Zeev Buium who inked his entry-level deal earlier today.  Crotty now has two career NHL appearances under his belt while he has chipped in with 10 assists in 62 outings with Iowa.
  • The Islanders have sent goaltender Tristan Lennox back to AHL Bridgeport, relays Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link). The 22-year-old had a short-lived NHL debut back on Tuesday, allowing one goal on two shots in a little under five minutes of action.  Lennox has been limited to just four minor league appearances this season due to injury, posting a 4.44 GAA and a .832 SV% with Bridgeport.  He was no longer needed with the Isles with Ilya Sorokin returning today.
  • One player who won’t be on the NHL-AHL shuffle for a little while longer is Calgary prospect Henry Mews. The defenseman announced (Twitter link) that he’ll play for the University of Michigan next season.  Mews was a third-round pick by the Flames last June, going 74th overall.  He had a strong year offensively in the OHL, tallying 82 points in 68 games between Ottawa and Sudbury but instead of staying in junior, he’ll test himself at the college level next season.

Capitals Loan Terik Parascak to Hershey Bears

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The Washington Capitals have loaned forward Terik Parascak to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, the team announced today. One of the team’s top prospects, Parascak was selected 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft, and has been on a tear in the WHL this season.

Parascak, 18, has 82 points in 59 games for the Prince George Cougars, which is second on the team behind Minnesota Wild prospect Riley Heidt (90). Despite his lofty numbers, he actually put up more points with the Cougars last season, when he posted 43 goals and 105 points in 68 games. He has added 24 points in 19 playoff games in the WHL, including 10 points in seven games this season. The Cougars’ season ended after a first-round exit, opening the door for Parascak to join the Caps’ AHL-affiliate. At 6’0, 180, the right-handed winger is known for his ability to set up and finish plays.

Last season, he was named to the 2024 CHL All-Rookie Team and the WHL B.C. Division Second All-Star Team, led CHL rookies in goals and points and finished eighth overall in WHL scoring. Parascak’s 105 points were the most by a CHL rookie since Patrick Kane (145 points) and Sam Gagner (118 points) in 2006-07 and the fourth most since 2000-01, trailing only Kane, Gagner and Sidney Crosby (2003-04: 135 points), per the release.

Parascak, a native of Alberta, joins the Atlantic Division-leading Bears as they gear up for a deep run toward the Calder Cup. The team currently sits at 43-16-6-1, and adding a playmaker like Parascak should only support their efforts. He joins fellow Caps’ forward prospects in Hersey like Pierrick Dube and Ivan Miroshnichenko.

 

 

 

Rangers Recall Matthew Robertson

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The New York Rangers have recalled defenseman Matthew Robertson, per a team release. The 24-year-old is expected to make his NHL debut as Braden Schneider will sit out the final two games of the season with an upper-body injury, adds Mollie Walker of the New York Post.

The team’s second round selection in the 2019 draft, Robertson has spent the last four seasons in the AHL. In 60 games for the Hartford Wolfpack this season, Robertson has put up one goal, 25 points and 55 penalty minutes. Throughout his time in the AHL, the 6’4, 200-pound defender has put up 80 points and 176 penalty minutes in 250 games. Prior to that, Robertson spent five seasons in the WHL with the Edmonton Oil Kings, where he put up solid numbers for a defender. In 208 WHL games, Robertson posted 127 points, which included averaging a point-per-game in his final season.

While he was a highly regarded prospect, the left-handed Robertson hasn’t been able to crack the NHL lineup since being drafted. Although he’ll be making his first appearance with the Rangers, he is set for restricted free agency following the season. With this said, Robertson still ranks toward the top of the franchise’s defensive prospects list, so it stands to reason the Rangers will look to bring Robertson back into the fold.

Robertson may also have a clearer path to playing in New York next season, as K’Andre Miller is also set to be a restricted free agent and is a due a raise on his current $3,872,000MM AAV. Zachary Jones is also set for restricted free agency. Calvin de Haan, who the team acquired earlier this year in a trade with the Avalanche, is set to become a free agent after the season and recently had choice words for how he feels he’s been treated by the team. So, it’s safe to say de Haan will be looking a role elsewhere starting this summer.

Avalanche Recall T.J. Tynan

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The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward T.J. Tynan from the AHL, per a team release. Tyran will likely suit up in Colorado’s final regular season game tonight against the Anaheim Ducks.

In the eight games on the season in Colorado, Tynan has registered one assist, while adding four hits, four blocked shots, and four penalty minutes. This season represents the first NHL playing time for Tynan since the 2021-22 season, when he suited up in two games for the Kings. A 2011 third-round selection of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tyran, 33, has skated in 29 career NHL contests and has added two assists and zero goals. While Tynan doesn’t seem destined to support the club past today’s contest, it will be fun to see if he can light the lamp post for the first time in his career.

While he hasn’t been able to produce in the NHL, his statistics at the AHL-level have been a stark contract to what’s he’s been able to do at the top level, including this season where he has produced eight goals, 41 assists and 49 points in 50 games for the Colorado Eagles. He has scored 642 points in 691 AHL games, while adding another 35 points in 59 Calder Cup playoff games. Known for his passing abilities, 532 of his 642 AHL points have been assists, including 84 assists during the 2021-22 season with the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ AHL-affiliate.

His recall provides some depth as Colorado is already without several lineup fixtures, including star Nathan MacKinnon. He’s dealing with a minor injury that wouldn’t hold him out of playoff action, but he’s expected to sit for both contests this weekend. However, forwards Ross Colton (undisclosed) and Jonathan Drouin (lower body) both carry more serious injuries, although both could be ready for game one of the playoffs. These injuries also necessitated of forward Jere Innala from AHL Colorado. Innala suited up in last night’s 5-4 loss to the Kings, where he registered two shots on net and recorded a hit in 10:10 of total ice time.

Minor Transactions: Bemström, Semptimphelter, Valis

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The Penguins reassigned winger Emil Bemström to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earlier today, per a team announcement. Pittsburgh recalled Bemström on Thursday under emergency conditions, and he entered the lineup to play 8:23 against the Devils yesterday while recording one shot on goal. If they don’t recall him tomorrow before their afternoon matchup against the Bruins, they’ll roll 11 forwards and seven defensemen. It could also be an indication that winger Philip Tomasino is ready to return after missing three games with a concussion. Every other injured Penguin is out for the season. Bemström, 25, has just one assist in 14 games with the Pens this year despite recording over a point per game in the minors.

Other minor moves from around hockey today:

  • Free agent goaltender T.J. Semptimphelter has joined the Islanders organization on a tryout with AHL Bridgeport, the team said. A frequent mention in our college free agent previews over the last couple of years, the 22-year-old turns pro after four collegiate seasons – the last of which was spent with North Dakota after transferring from Arizona State. In 31 games for the Fighting Hawks, he put up a 2.64 GAA, .910 SV%, one shutout, and an 18-11-2 record. He was previously a Hobey Baker nominee after his standout sophomore season with ASU, in which he posted a 2.84 GAA and .913 SV% in 36 showings for the then-independent program.
  • Recent Maple Leafs signing Borya Valis will finish the season with AHL Toronto, the minor league’s transactions log reflects. His Prince George Cougars were recently eliminated in the first round of the Western Hockey League playoffs by the Portland Winterhawks – he had 3-4–7 in the seven-game defeat. He’ll finish his breakout 80-point season by making his professional debut.

Sharks Recall Thomas Bordeleau

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This hasn’t been the type of season that Sharks forward Thomas Bordeleau had hoped for.  Instead of landing a full-time spot in San Jose, he has played exclusively with the AHL’s Barracuda thus far.  However, it appears as if he’ll gets at least one chance with the big club as the team announced (Twitter link) that Bordeleau has been recalled.

The 23-year-old played in 27 games with the Sharks last season, notching six goals and five assists in a little over 15 minutes a night, appearing to give himself a realistic shot at securing a regular role in the lineup.  He accepted his qualifying offer in late July but after spending the first two weeks of the season on injured reserve, Bordeleau was sent down and until today, hadn’t been recalled.

Bordeleau has had a decent season with the Barracuda.  Through 59 games, he has 14 goals and 24 assists, putting him three points shy of his personal best set back in 2021-22, his first full professional campaign.  However, his assist total is a new career-high.  He’ll once again be a restricted free agent this summer and should sign for close to his new qualifying offer of $917.8K.

Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News notes (Twitter link) that the Sharks have already used their four post-deadline regular recalls, meaning that this is an emergency recall.  It’s unclear which forward’s availability for Sunday’s game against Calgary is in question at this time but head coach David Warsofsky noted earlier this week that Alexander Wennberg has been playing through an injury for a while now.

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