Andrei Kuzmenko Undergoes Meniscus Surgery
Already down a key offensive winger in Kevin Fiala who is out for the season, the Kings are now going to be without another offensive winger for at least a little while. The team announced that Andrei Kuzmenko has undergone successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus and is listed as out week-to-week; he has also been placed on injured reserve. Taking his spot on the active roster is defenseman Angus Booth, who has been recalled from AHL Ontario.
Kuzmenko is in his first full season with Los Angeles after being acquired at the trade deadline last season. A strong finish saw him put up five goals and 12 assists in just 22 games down the stretch before putting up six points in six games in the playoffs. That performance helped keep him around as Los Angeles signed Kuzmenko to a one-year, $4.3MM contract to keep him from testing unrestricted free agency.
Things haven’t gone quite as well for the 30-year-old this season, however. Kuzmenko has been limited to 13 goals and 12 assists through 52 appearances although he still ranks seventh on the team in points with Los Angeles being one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL. Now, with him and Fiala out of the lineup, there will be even more pressure on Artemi Panarin in the short term to pick up the slack while GM Ken Holland might be more motivated to try to seek out some scoring help over the coming days as well. Projected to have more than $15MM in cap room on deadline day, per PuckPedia, Los Angeles has plenty of room to add to its roster.
As for Booth, this is his first career NHL recall. The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Kings in 2022, going 116th overall out of the QMJHL. In his second professional season, Booth has played exclusively with the Reign and has a goal and nine assists in 42 games. With Drew Doughty exiting Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury, it appears that Booth will serve as the seventh defender until the veteran is able to return.
Devils Activate Luke Hughes, Assign Colton White To AHL
The Devils will welcome back a key part of their back end today against St. Louis. The team announced (Twitter link) that they have activated defenseman Luke Hughes off injured reserve. To make room on the roster, blueliner Colton White has been sent back to AHL Utica.
After two very promising seasons to start his career, 2025-26 hasn’t gone quite as well for Hughes this season. The 22-year-old had a long contract standoff, resulting in a deal only getting done a few days before the start of the season, resulting in him missing the majority of training camp.
Meanwhile, his production hasn’t taken a meaningful step forward despite a jump in ice time to more than 23 minutes per game. Hughes had 47 points in 82 games in his rookie season and 44 in 71 outings in 2024-25 but has been limited to five goals and 21 assists so far this season in 49 appearances. He missed nearly six weeks with a shoulder injury but only wound up missing 10 games overall thanks to the Olympic break.
Notably, when New Jersey had a fully healthy back end earlier this season, trade speculation around Dougie Hamilton picked up. Those talks faded when Hughes went down but once again, the Devils now have their top seven blueliners healthy and available which could ultimately kickstart those trade talks before Friday’s deadline. For now, it’s unclear who will be the scratch as team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link) there are players dealing with an illness and a decision on who’s out will be made closer to warmups.
As for White, he was recalled when practices resumed during the Olympic break but had served as a healthy scratch since then, keeping his games played total with the Devils this season at 23, where he has four assists in a little over 12 minutes per night of ice time. The 28-year-old has also suited up 10 times with Utica and is still looking for his first AHL point of the season.
Bruins Open To Moving Matthew Poitras
Just a few seasons ago, it looked like Matthew Poitras was going to be a key piece of Boston’s forward group for years to come. But things haven’t played out that way and now, it appears they’ve deemed him expendable. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that the Bruins are now willing to move Poitras as they look to bolster their roster for the stretch run.
The 21-year-old was a second-round pick by Boston back in 2022, going 54th overall and surprised many by making the NHL roster just one year later. Poitras played in 33 games in 2023-24, picking up 15 points while also impressing at the World Juniors. However, he needed season-ending shoulder surgery in the second half of the campaign and things have been trending in the wrong direction since then.
Last season, Poitras started the year with the big club but since he was now eligible to be sent to Providence in the minors, the Bruins elected to shuffle him back and forth a bit. In the AHL, he was quite productive, picking up 41 points in 40 games, an especially impressive performance for a 20-year-old. But that didn’t translate to much success with Boston as he was limited to just one goal and 10 assists in 31 games.
The dip in production saw Poitras lose his roster spot heading into training camp and he has played predominantly with Providence this season where his numbers have slipped; he has nine goals and 21 helpers in 47 games so far. Meanwhile, he has only had one brief recall which came just before the Olympic break, scoring once in three games but he has been back in the minors since the start of the break.
Poitras changed agents earlier this season heading into his contract negotiations this summer where he’ll be a restricted free agent for the first time. For now, he’s costing a very affordable $870K on the cap when he’s in the NHL. This is his final season of waiver exemption, as well.
While his stock has undoubtedly fallen, young centers who have had some semblance of NHL success aren’t exactly easy to come by. With that in mind, Poitras should still generate some strong interest if GM Don Sweeney decides to part with him to get a win-now piece to try to give them a push to maintain their playoff positioning.
Wild Recall Tyler Pitlick
With Joel Eriksson Ek sustaining an injury last night against Utah, the Wild have brought up some extra forward depth. The team announced that they have recalled Tyler Pitlick from AHL Iowa.
Pitlick has been in plenty of transactions this season. It’s his third recall from Iowa while he has also cleared waivers three separate times. The need for the extra appearances on waivers stems from his NHL action as the 34-year-old has played in 31 games with Minnesota this season. However, he has been limited to just two goals in those outings while adding 76 hits in just under eight minutes a night of playing time.
In the minors, Pitlick has been much more productive, notching eight goals and three assists in just a dozen appearances with Iowa. However, despite his offensive success at that level, he’s likely to remain in the limited fourth-line role if he gets into Minnesota’s lineup.
As for Eriksson Ek, he took a high stick near the eye on Friday. Michael Russo of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that the center will be assessed today. While the current expectation is that he won’t play on Sunday versus St. Louis, the belief is that he’ll be okay and that this won’t be a long-term injury. Eriksson Ek sits third on the Wild in scoring with 17 goals and 25 assists in 54 games so far this season.
Minnesota had an open roster spot available after sending David Spacek back to Iowa earlier this week. Accordingly, no corresponding move was needed to bring up Pitlick, although the Wild now have the maximum of 23 healthy players on their roster.
Trade Deadline Primer: Seattle Kraken
With the Olympic break now over, the trade deadline is almost a week away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with teams in the fight for a playoff spot, next up are the Kraken.
Coming into the season, expectations weren’t particularly high for Seattle. They were coming off missing the playoffs and didn’t do much to shake up their roster. However, a significant improvement defensively under new head coach Lane Lambert has them squarely in the race for a playoff spot. But with some prominent veterans on expiring contracts, will they run the risk of letting them walk in free agency to bolster their playoff hopes or weaken those postseason odds to ensure they get a good return for some of those players?
Record
27-22-9, 4th in the Pacific (55.5% playoff probability, per MoneyPuck)
Deadline Status
Wild Card, could buy, sell, or some of each
Deadline Cap Space
$22.07MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: SEA 1st, TB 1st, SEA 2nd, ANA 4th, NYR 4th, SEA 4th, SEA 6th, NJ 7th, SEA 7th
2027: SEA 1st, TB 1st, CBJ 2nd, SEA 2nd, WPG 2nd, SEA 3rd, SEA 4th, SEA 5th, SEA 6th, SEA 7th
Trade Chips
Let’s talk about the veterans first. Up front, captain Jordan Eberle has already reached the 20-goal mark for the ninth time in his career and leads Seattle in scoring with 38 points. The captain has a full no-trade clause but his $4.75MM cap charge for a second-line winger is quite reasonable while he has a solid track record in the playoffs with a point-per-game average that’s rather close to his regular season averages.
Forward Jaden Schwartz has been a capable top-six player in recent years but, like many Kraken players this season, his output is down a bit in 2025-26. Still, with his track record and ability to play center in a pinch, there would be a market for his services, even at a $5.75MM cap charge. That said, his injury history might limit his potential return compared to another UFA winger in Eeli Tolvanen. Tolvanen brings a lot of physicality to the table with a bit of an offensive punch, although it’s highly unlikely he gets back to the 20-goal mark this season as he did a year ago. For teams looking to add some grit to their third line, his $3.475MM price tag will be appealing. Also worth noting is that Tolvanen doesn’t have any trade protection in his contract.
Perhaps their most appealing rental player is on the back end, however. Two elements that playoff-bound teams are consistently looking to add are grit and size to their blueline. Jamie Oleksiak brings both of those to the table. While he’s only a third-pairing player at five-on-five, he can log heavy penalty killing minutes, block plenty of shots, and play in late-game situations. His $4.6MM AAV for that role is on the high side but it stands to reason that Seattle would retain the maximum of 50% to maximize their return; a $2.3MM cap charge is much more affordable for contenders. Even though he’s having a bit of a down year, Oleksiak’s market will be strong if he’s put in play.
Over the last couple of months, center Shane Wright’s name has come up in a discussion of players who are believed to be available. The fourth overall pick in 2022 is a regular third-liner for the second straight season, although his offensive numbers are down from his rookie campaign when he potted 19 goals and 44 points in 79 games. Given the high demand for centers and the fact he’s easily affordable on the salary cap given that he’s on his entry-level deal, the Kraken would be well-positioned to command a quality return should they opt to trade from their center depth.
If Seattle opts to be a light buyer, one prospect to keep an eye on is Logan Morrison. A prolific scorer in junior, he’s having a strong season with AHL Coachella Valley, checking in at just under a point per game. Still, his NHL opportunity has been limited to just four games last season. He’s in his final year of waiver exemption and there could be a few teams that would have interest in giving him an NHL look down the stretch.
Team Needs
Offensive Firepower: While Seattle is much-improved defensively this season, it has come at the expense of some scoring as they’ve gone from a mid-pack team to one barely ahead of the bottom five in scoring. No player has hit 40 points yet (though Jared McCann would easily be there had he been healthy all season) and only Eberle has reached 20 goals. While the Kraken have a by-committee approach offensively, a legitimate top-six addition could go a long way toward bolstering their playoff odds, should GM Jason Botterill decide to be a buyer.
Penalty Killing Help: For all of the improved defensive play (and goaltending), one goal prevention area that still needs work is the penalty kill. They’re down nearly 6% from last season, checking in at just 71.4%, narrowly better than Vancouver who sits dead last. They’ve yet to score at four-on-five and generate the fewest shot attempts of any team in the league and the sit-back approach hasn’t quite worked. Given the importance of special teams in the playoffs, upgrading a player or two on the penalty kill – even if it’s their fourth-line or third-pairing options – could be enough of an improvement to see some legitimate improvement on that front.
Photo courtesy of Brett Holmes-Imagn Images.
Canucks Scratching Tyler Myers For Trade-Related Reasons
Feb. 26th: Although early speculation linked Myers to the Edmonton Oilers, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported that the Oilers are not one of the teams that are interested in acquiring Myers.
Feb. 25th: With the trade deadline now just a week and a half away, we will soon be seeing an uptick in players being held out of the lineup to avoid any injury risk before a potential trade. The Rangers did it with Artemi Panarin before the Olympic break and now the Canucks will be doing so with a veteran as well. Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that blueliner Tyler Myers will be scratched tonight against Winnipeg for trade-related reasons. This comes on the heels of a report from ESPN’s Kevin Weekes (Twitter link) that Vancouver is fielding plenty of calls on the veteran and that he could be on the move soon.
TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (Twitter link) that the Canucks went to Myers with this trade option a couple of days ago. With a full no-move clause, Myers has full control over his situation and he and his camp are still pondering the potential change of scenery. Clearly, even though a deal might not be imminent, the team isn’t taking any chances and is holding him out just in case.
The 36-year-old came into the NHL with plenty of fanfare in 2009 after being the 12th overall pick by Buffalo the year before. With Myers jumping into a top-pairing role right away, expectations were quite high that he could be a legitimate franchise defender.
While he hasn’t been able to live up to that hype and ultimately struggled in a prominent role over the years, Myers has still been a steady second-pairing defender for the better part of the last decade. He’s in the middle of his seventh season in Vancouver, one that has seen his offensive production basically dry up altogether as he has been limited to just a goal and seven assists in 57 games. However, he remains a key defensive defender for them and sits second on the team in blocked shots and third in shorthanded playing time.
Myers is in the second season of a three-year, $9MM contract that runs through the 2026-27 season. With a $3MM cap charge that is certainly affordable for the role he plays (he’s averaging over 20 minutes per game once again), that and the fact he’s not a rental player should certainly have Vancouver well-positioned to command a quality return, especially with a lack of quality right-shot options available.
A move shouldn’t necessarily be considered an automatic, however. Myers has made it known over the years that his desire has been to remain with the Canucks no matter what, which played a role in his below-market contract with them. Assuming the other suitor is a legitimate playoff contender, it will be interesting to see if the allure of making a push for a Stanley Cup is enough to make him agree to be moved.
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.
Snapshots: Kadri, Wilson, MacKinnon, Blueger
Nazem Kadri has been no stranger to the rumor mill over the last couple of years with the Flames in the middle of a rebuild of sorts. While his public comments have consistently indicated a desire to remain in Calgary, it’s possible that he’s having a change of heart. In a recent TSN Insider Trading segment, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the veteran now wants to be traded at this point while the team continues to test the market on him. The 35-year-old should have a decent market given the dearth of quality centers available but having three years left after this one on his contract with a $7MM price tag could give some suitors some pause. Despite Calgary’s struggles this season, Kadri leads the team in scoring with 10 goals and 29 assists in 56 games.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that Tom Wilson’s absence from tonight’s game against Philadelphia was due to illness. Wilson had a fairly successful run at the Olympics for Canada with four points in six games while also finishing second in the event in penalty minutes with 29. The winger leads Washington in scoring this season with 23 goals and 26 assists in 50 games.
- After a busy Olympic tournament with Canada, the Avalanche decided to give Nathan MacKinnon the night off tonight against Utah. Corey Masisak of The Denver Post relays (Twitter link) that MacKinnon’s absence was merely termed as maintenance and not injury-related. It was suggested that MacKinnon was playing through something at the Olympics although he still managed seven points in six games while playing heavy minutes. He leads the NHL in goals this season with 40 through 55 appearances.
- Speaking with reporters including Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Canucks center Teddy Blueger noted that he’d love to remain with the team but as of yet, there haven’t been any discussions about a possible contract extension. The 31-year-old has been limited to just ten games this season heading into tonight’s action due to injury but has been surprisingly productive in those, notching five goals and three assists. Known as more of a checking center throughout his career, Blueger is likely to garner interest before next week’s trade deadline from teams looking to shore up their bottom six. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent with a $1.8MM cap charge.
Kings Activate Mikey Anderson And Alex Turcotte
On top of debuting Artemi Panarin, the Kings welcomed back a pair of players for their game tonight against Vegas. The team announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Mikey Anderson and forward Alex Turcotte have been activated off injured reserve. After recently moving Kevin Fiala to IR, they had two open roster spots so no other corresponding moves needed to be made.
Anderson is having a quiet year offensively (many are on the Kings, who sit 31st in goals scored), but he continues to hold down a top-four shutdown role. The 26-year-old has two goals and seven assists in 54 games this season but is second on the team in blocks with 77. Anderson is also averaging more than 20 minutes per game for the sixth straight season.
Anderson was sidelined with an upper-body injury at the beginning of the month against Carolina. However, thanks to the Olympic break, he ultimately only missed two games.
Turcotte’s absence was a little longer as he missed an extra week. The 24-year-old has been a regular on the fourth line in Los Angeles this season but has also seen his production go in the wrong direction. After picking up a career-high 25 points in 68 games in 2024-25, he has been limited to just three goals and nine assists in 49 outings this season. However, he’s winning nearly 56% of his faceoffs, which is allowing him to contribute even with the drop in production.
Canucks Make Several Roster Moves
On top of having a potential trade on the horizon to shake up the roster, the Canucks have made several roster moves today. The team announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Zeev Buium, winger Brock Boeser, and center Marco Rossi have all been activated off injured reserve. To make room on the roster, center Filip Chytil was placed on IR retroactive to February 18th.
Buium was the centerpiece of the return in the Quinn Hughes trade back in December. He’s in his first full NHL season (after a brief stint with Minnesota in the playoffs last year) and has shown some flashes of the dynamic offensive upside that made him the 12th overall pick in 2024. While he’s still going through the ups and downs of his first taste of NHL action, Vancouver has been deploying him in a top-four role when he has been healthy and he has six points in 20 games since the swap. Buium had been out for the last month due to a fractured cheekbone.
Boeser, meanwhile, missed the last month with a concussion. The 29-year-old has struggled by his standards this season, potting 12 goals and 13 assists in 50 games. Two years ago, he had a career-high 40 goals and 73 points and reached the 50-point mark for the fifth time last season, earning him a seven-year, $50.25MM agreement to remain with Vancouver in the opening day of free agency last summer. While this season is a write-off for the Canucks in terms of the standings, he’ll certainly be looking for a big finish to show he can still be a top contributor.
Rossi also came to Vancouver in the Hughes trade but hasn’t had a chance to showcase himself much since then. Injured at the time of the swap, he only got into eight games with his new team before sustaining a lower-body injury in late December, one that took nearly two months to return from. With the Canucks lacking capable options down the middle, it’s fair to say that they will be giving Rossi a big role over these next couple of months to try to determine what the best spot on the depth chart will be for him moving forward.
As for Chytil, his tough injury luck continues. While this particular injury isn’t a recurrence of the concussion symptoms he has battled frequently in recent years, it’s one he sustained in practice after taking a puck to the face. Chytil was also supposed to be a part of Vancouver’s solution down the middle after being acquired last season but has played in just 27 games with the Canucks since then, including 12 this season where he has three goals. The retroactive placement makes him eligible to be activated at any point moving forward once he’s cleared to return.
Ducks Activate Leo Carlsson
Anaheim’s push to hold onto a playoff spot will get a boost tonight as center Leo Carlsson has been activated off injured reserve, according to the NHL’s Media Site. The Ducks had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made but their roster is now at the maximum of 23.
Carlsson underwent a procedure in mid-January to treat a Morel-Lavallée lesion in his left thigh. The initial recovery timeline was three to five weeks. At the time, the hope was that he’d be able to suit up for Sweden at the Olympics but ultimately, he wasn’t able to participate.
Before being sidelined, Carlsson had been one of the breakout performers in the first half of the season. Head coach Joel Quenneville had the 21-year-old playing a more prominent role compared to his sophomore campaign and the center responded with 44 points in 44 games, a total that made him Anaheim’s leading scorer prior to the injury.
Despite missing a dozen games, Carlsson has only slipped to a share of second place in team scoring, behind only winger Cutter Gauthier. He’s also tied with fellow youngster Beckett Sennecke and veteran winger Troy Terry for that number two spot in points.
It’s not all good news on the injury front for Anaheim, however. Derek Lee of The Hockey News relays that forward Mikael Granlund will miss tonight’s game against Edmonton due to an upper-body injury sustained at the Olympics. Fortunately for them, he’s expected to skate on Thursday and hasn’t been ruled out of Friday’s contest versus Winnipeg.