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Los Angeles Kings Sign Otto Salin

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Apr. 1: PuckPedia provided an overview of Salin’s three-year entry-level contract:

  • Year 1: $775K salary, $87.5K signing bonus, $12.5K unspecified games played bonus
  • Year 2: $775K salary, $87.5K signing bonus, $12.5K unspecified games played bonus
  • Year 3: $812.5K salary, $87.5K signing bonus

Mar. 31: Over the weekend, a report from Mayor’s Manor suggested that the Kings were on the verge of signing defenseman Otto Salin to an entry-level deal.  That deal is indeed now done, with the team announcing that they’ve signed Salin to a three-year contract that begins next season.  While not confirmed by the team, it’s expected that he’ll join AHL Ontario on a tryout deal, allowing him to play with the Reign down the stretch.

The 21-year-old was a fifth-round pick by Los Angeles back in 2022, going 148th overall in a season riddled by some injuries.  To that point, Salin had primarily played in Finland’s junior level but he has played exclusively in the pros since then.

Salin spent most of his post-draft year with HIFK at the top Liiga level while getting into a handful of Mestis games (minor league level) as well.  He split time between the two levels last season as well while only managing six assists in 29 games with HIFK.

This season, his fortunes changed for the better.  Salin notched eight goals and 20 assists in 56 games during the regular season with TPS while averaging 17:32 per game.  He added two goals and two assists in five postseason contests in over 23 minutes per night of playing time before being eliminated by SaiPa, a decent way to cap off his season.  That was good enough to earn an NHL contract while likely getting his feet wet in the minors in the days to come as well.

Rangers Sign Callum Tung

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4/1: The New York Rangers have officially signed Tung to a three-year, entry-level contract. Tung will turn pro after just one season in college. Tung will report to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack for the remainder of the season, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic.

3/31: Earlier today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Flames were interested in undrafted goaltender Callum Tung.  It turns out they weren’t the only team seeking his services as Friedman reports (Twitter links) that the Rangers are closing in on signing the netminder with an official announcement expected on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old took over as the starting goalie at UConn down the stretch, playing in their first ever tournament games in school history in recent days where he beat Quinnipiac and lost to Penn State.  On the season, he only suited up in 15 games, posting a 2.01 GAA and a .933 SV%.  That earned him a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

That’s Tung’s only NCAA experience as he spent last season with Alberni Valley of the BCHL where he put up a 2.80 GAA and a .917 SV% in 38 regular season games while recording a 2.11 GAA and a .940 SV% in 18 postseason contests.  He seemed to be positioned to apprentice behind Florida prospect Tyler Muszelic for a year or two and then take over as the starter but Tung played his way into that role quicker than expected.

It’s rare for a goalie to make the jump after one college campaign, particularly one who played in fewer than half the games in that lone season.  Knowing that, there’s a bit more risk-reward at play for New York.  If this was just a late-season hot streak, New York will be committing three years largely based on that short stretch of games.  On the other hand, if Tung is a later bloomer, they could have an intriguing prospect on their hands.

While Igor Shesterkin is entrenched as the starter for the long haul after signing an eight-year extension earlier this season, New York’s future second-string option is more up for grabs.  Dylan Garand is the current favorite for that spot should the Rangers eventually promote from within once Jonathan Quick calls it a career.  They also have Hugo Ollas and Talyn Boyko under contract but they’re more long shots to contend for an NHL spot.  That should give Tung a chance to work his way up their depth chart over the next few seasons although that was the plan at the college level and he wound up beating that timeline well in advance.

Blackhawks Prospect Sacha Boisvert Enters Transfer Portal

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It has been a busy few days for some of Chicago’s first-round picks.  Over the weekend, the Blackhawks signed defenseman Sam Rinzel (a 2022 first-round pick) center Oliver Moore (a 2023 first-rounder) to entry-level contracts and gave them their NHL debuts on Sunday.  One of their first-round picks from 2024 will have a new team as well, just not at the professional level.

Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that center Sacha Boisvert has entered the NCAA transfer portal.  After spending his freshman year at the University of North Dakota, he’ll be on the lookout for a new school to play for next season.

Boisvert was the 18th-overall selection last June following a solid second year with USHL Muskegon.  The 19-year-old recorded 36 goals and 32 assists in 61 games with the Lumberjacks last season which had him ranked in the 20s by most scouting services.  Clearly, Chicago felt a little stronger about his upside, selecting him with one of the top post-lottery picks.

On the surface, Boisvert’s decision to play elsewhere is a bit surprising.  He had a solid freshman year for the Fighting Hawks, tallying 18 goals and 14 assists in 37 games.  His 32 points led the team which is particularly notable among a group of skaters that featured 14 NHL draft picks.  Already getting a prominent role, he’ll look to find a better fit somewhere else in the coming weeks.

When he was drafted, Boisvert was viewed as a bit of a project selection who would need several years of college hockey before being ready to turn pro.  This news doesn’t accelerate that timeline, instead likely cementing it.  But after a strong first season of college, Boisvert seems to be on the right track development-wise, even if he’s setting out to chart a new path.

Minor Transactions: 3/31/25

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It has been quite a busy day on the transaction front, with plenty of college players signing their entry-level contracts.  Meanwhile, there have been some other moves involving NHL players and prospects.  We’ll quickly run through those here.

  • The Jets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled center Jaret Anderson-Dolan and goaltender Chris Driedger from AHL Manitoba. Anderson-Dolan is up after Rasmus Kupari suffered a setback in his recovery from a concussion, while Driedger will cover for Eric Comrie, whose wife went into labor over the weekend.  This is Anderson-Dolan’s second recall of the season but he didn’t play in the first one.  He has 19 points in 51 games with the Moose this season.  Meanwhile, Driedger was acquired from Florida near the trade deadline, combining to make 25 appearances between their farm team and Manitoba, playing to a 3.03 GAA and a .877 SV%.
  • The Golden Knights have recalled goaltender Akira Schmid from AHL Henderson, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). He’ll be covering for Ilya Samsonov for the time being who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.  Schmid is in his first season with Vegas after being acquired at the draft but has played almost exclusively with the Silver Knights, posting a 3.58 GAA and a .886 SV% in 30 outings.
  • The Predators announced that they’ve reassigned wingers Hiroki Gojsic and Kalan Lind to AHL Milwaukee. Gojsic was a late third-round pick in June and has already signed his entry-level deal.  The 18-year-old had 20 goals and 17 assists in 61 games this season with WHL Kelowna but with the Rockets missing the playoffs, he’s eligible to be sent to the minors.  As for Lind, he wrapped up his major junior career with WHL Red Deer, tallying 12 goals and 15 assists in 37 games with the Rebels.  A 2023 second-round selection, Lind has also already signed his entry-level deal and since he’s 20, he’ll be turning pro full-time next season, an option that won’t be available to Gojsic.

Five Key Stories: 3/24/25 – 3/30/25

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The final full week in March is in the books and it was an eventful one around the NHL with a pair of big events drawing plenty of attention.  Those are among the headlines in our key stories.

Done For The Year: This hasn’t been a great year for Wild blueliner David Jiricek.  Mired in a limited role in Columbus, he was acquired by Minnesota at the end of November and the thought was that he’d be up with the big club after that.  Instead, he wound up being a frequent scratch with the Wild sending him down recently to get some more playing time.  However, those plans are out the window as the 21-year-old suffered a lacerated spleen upon his return, ending his season prematurely.  He finished up the year with just a dozen NHL appearances split between Columbus and Minnesota while he struggled in Iowa, notching just seven assists in 27 games with them.  All in all, a tough finish to a tough season for the prospect.

Back In The Lineup: The Golden Knights welcomed back a key part of their back end when they activated defenseman Shea Theodore off LTIR.  Theodore was expected to be a key player for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off but his tournament action was short-lived as he suffered an arm injury in the opener, causing him to miss more than a month of games.  Despite missing 15 games this season, Theodore still sits in the top ten for points by a defenseman, tallying seven goals and 44 assists through 58 appearances while logging nearly 22 minutes a night.  Returning now gives him plenty of time to get back into top form heading into the playoffs.

Big Change In Philadelphia: The Flyers were in the midst of their worst stretch of the season, losing 11 of 12 games since early March with some frustration happening behind the scenes as well.  That resulted in GM Daniel Briere electing to make a coaching change, dismissing John Tortorella while elevating associate coach Brad Shaw to the interim head coaching role for the rest of the season.  Tortorella was in his 23rd season running an NHL bench and his third with Philadelphia; he had one year left on his contract.  Teams looking for an experienced head coach this spring may look his way or Tortorella might opt to call it a career.  Meanwhile, this is Shaw’s second time stewarding an NHL team as he previously served as an interim head coach for 40 games with the Islanders back in 2005-06 when he took over for Steve Stirling.

First Contracts For First Rounders: With college seasons coming to an end, several prominent first-round prospects have turned pro, inking deals that start this year, allowing them to play for their respective clubs down the stretch.  The Blues got a deal done with 2022 first-rounder (20th overall) Jimmy Snuggerud, signing him away from the University of Minnesota.  That same school lost three other first-rounders, as Matthew Wood (15th overall in 2023) signed with Nashville and Sam Rinzel (25th overall in 2022) inked a deal with Chicago.  Rinzel wasn’t the only Blackhawks prospect to sign, as they also signed Oliver Moore (19th overall in 2023).  Suffice it to say, the Golden Gophers won’t be anywhere near as strong on paper next season.  All four players have either already made their NHL debuts or will do so in the near future.

Staying In Washington: One of the more prominent pending unrestricted free agents is off the market early after the Capitals signed defenseman Jakob Chychrun to an eight-year, $72MM contract extension.  The $9MM AAV nearly doubles the $4.6MM cap charge he has been playing on since the 2019-20 campaign, one that has become quite a bargain.  The 26-year-old has fit in quite well after being acquired from Ottawa last summer as Chychrun already has new career-highs in goals (18) and points (44) while logging just shy of 21 minutes a night of playing time.  With John Carlson already 35 and likely nearing the finish line on his career, Chychrun appears to be well-positioned to move into the top role when the veteran hangs up his skates.

Photo courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.

2025 College Free Agency Preview: Forwards

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With the NCAA tournament in full force, we’ve seen an influx of collegiate signings in recent days which is likely to continue over the next couple of weeks.  Generally speaking, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.

We’re changing things up a bit in our annual preview this time around.  Earlier this week, Gabriel Foley took a closer look at the most prominent players from this year’s class.  Meanwhile, we’ll break down the rest of the class in two separate columns, one for forwards and one for goaltenders and defensemen.  We’ll start with the forwards.

As always, note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.

Dalton Bancroft (Cornell)

A player who was on this list last year, Bancroft’s stock has dipped a bit this season after a much-improved sophomore season.  Even so, he finished second on the Big Red in scoring while setting a new career-best in goals with 15.  Bancroft’s size and skill set profile him as a physical fourth liner and with him having some power play success in the past, he should have some interest from teams looking to add some extra depth.

Josh Eernisse (Michigan)

It’s believed Eernisse had some NHL interest last year but he opted to return to the Wolverines with the hope that he could land a bigger role and have a better season.  That didn’t happen as he wound up scoring just once in 36 games.  Nonetheless, his size, physicality, and speed will make him appealing to teams looking to add a fourth-line energy player.  That said, coming off a down year, he might be better off going back for his senior season and trying to boost his stock.

Christian Fitzgerald (Wisconsin)

Like Eernisse, Fitzgerald transferred to a more prominent program after his freshman year and has seen his production decline since then.  Nonetheless, a 16-goal showing two years ago should have him on the radar for some teams but at this point, an AHL deal might be all he could land, making him a realistic candidate to return to the Badgers next season.

T.J. Hughes (Michigan)

Hughes has been a prominent scorer over his three years with the Wolverines, averaging more than a point per game over that stretch.  Even with a bit of a quieter effort this season, he still led Michigan in scoring with 38 points in 36 games.  Hughes is a top-six player but can he be that in the NHL?  There might be some hesitance on that one but even if he’s viewed as a possible impactful AHL piece, that should generate some strong interest.

Carter King (Denver)

The Flames are among the teams known to be interested in King who is one of the top-scoring players in this year’s free agent class.  He played a prominent role last season en route to the NCAA championship and he’s playing a bigger one this season.  King is a bit undersized and is already 23 but as a two-way forward – he’s a nominee for NCHC Defensive Player of the Year – he can fit in enough roles that he should have strong interest.

Joey Larson (Michigan State)

It was a bit of a quieter year for Larson compared to last season where his performance landed him a bit of NHL interest and a spot on this list.  Still, he often played with new Flyers prospect Karsen Dorwart which means he has been seen by plenty of scouts.  Larson has been at NHL development camps for the last three seasons and should be at a fourth but this time as a full-fledged NHL prospect.

Josh Nadeau (Maine)

Not surprisingly, the departure of his brother Bradly to Carolina hurt Nadeau’s production this season after being a high-scoring freshman in 2023-24.  Still, the 21-year-old finished second on the team in assists and third in points which will have him on the radar.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see him return for his junior year to see if he can boost his stock but there should be some teams kicking the tires at least.

Rhett Pitlick (Minnesota State Mankato)

The former Canadiens prospect became a free agent last summer when he briefly entered free agency before turning to the transfer portal.  He set new personal bests in assists (27) and points (40) this season, eclipsing the point-per-game mark for the first time.  Will that be enough to earn an NHL deal or will he have to settle for an AHL pact?  That’s what we’ll find out in the coming weeks.

Ondrej Psenicka (Cornell)

Psenicka drew some NHL interest after a strong 21-point freshman season in 2021-22.  However, his output never improved much over the past three seasons with his best year being this season, a 22-point showing.  But at 6’6, he can be a grinding winger on the boards and could fit on a fourth line down the road, even with limited upside.  Now that his eligibility is exhausted, he’ll be signing somewhere but will it be an NHL or an AHL deal?

Harrison Scott (Maine)

While Nadeau saw his numbers drop following the departure of his brother, his teammate in Scott saw his improve in his senior year, leading the Black Bears in scoring with 35 points in 38 games.  Already 24, there may not be a ton of developmental runway left but he fits the profile of a bottom-six energy forward who has shown a bit of scoring touch in his two seasons at Maine.

Jack Stockfish (Holy Cross)

He’s 6’4 and a right-shot center, both attributes that will catch the attention of scouts.  On top of that, Stockfish has had two solid college seasons so far, including a 15-goal, 27-point effort this year.  At 22, he’s one of the younger players on this list and while he has two years of eligibility left, this might be the right time to make the jump if some NHL entry-level offers present themselves.

Riley Thompson (Ohio State)

Thompson is one of the more intriguing players out of this group.  He transferred from Alaska-Anchorage for this season, a move that worked out well as he finished second on the Buckeyes in scoring with 17 goals and 16 assists.  He’s also a 6’4 center which will intrigue several teams.  It appears that there’s enough interest for him to land an NHL deal now but would he be better suited going back for another year to hone his game and then look to turn pro with an even stronger market?

Zach Urdahl (Nebraska-Omaha)

After two quiet years at Wisconsin, Urdahl reached the double-digit goal mark in each of the last two seasons while finishing fourth on the team in scoring.  His speed will help attract some attention, making him another player who profiles as a bottom-six piece if all goes well.  With his eligibility now exhausted, someone will be signing him in the coming weeks.

Lightning Sign Connor Kurth

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A breakout season at the University of Minnesota has landed Connor Kurth his first professional contract.  The Lightning announced that they’ve signed the forward to a two-year, entry-level deal that begins next season; financial terms were not disclosed.

The 21-year-old was selected in the sixth round (192nd overall) back in 2022 out of USHL Dubuque.  With them, Kurth put up 50 goals and 72 assists in 114 games over two seasons but offensive production was much harder to come by when he made the jump to the college level.

Over his first two seasons with the Golden Gophers, Kurth picked up 14 goals combined, seven in each campaign.  But this year was by far his best as he notched 18 goals along with 21 assists in 40 games, putting him in a tie for second in team scoring with Nashville first-rounder Matthew Wood, who signed his entry-level deal on Saturday.  That performance was good enough to secure a contract and forego his final season of eligibility.

Even though his contract doesn’t start until 2025-26, Kurth will get a taste of the pros this season as he has signed a tryout deal with AHL Syracuse and will be eligible to suit up for them down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Lightning Acquire And Sign Lucas Mercuri

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Earlier this month, Lucas Mercuri informed the Hurricanes that he wouldn’t be signing with them.  It didn’t take Carolina long to find a team that the center was amenable to joining, as the Lightning announced that they acquired the prospect for a 2025 sixth-round pick and signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal, which begins next season, were not disclosed.

The 23-year-old was a sixth-round pick by the Hurricanes back in 2020, going 159th overall.  In essence, they’re going to land a pick that’s somewhat close to what they originally used on him which isn’t the worst return for a player who doesn’t want to sign with a team.  It wasn’t disclosed why Mercuri didn’t want to sign with Carolina.

Mercuri just wrapped up his college career with UMass, saving his best season for last.  In 40 games for the Minutemen this season, he notched 10 goals and 21 assists, both personal bests while finishing fifth on the team in scoring.  Over his four-year career with them, he recorded 28 goals and 57 assists in 148 games.

While Mercuri’s contract won’t start until next season, he will be able to get a head start on his professional career.  As part of the acquisition announcement, the Lightning revealed that he has signed a tryout deal with AHL Syracuse and will play with them for the rest of the season.

San Jose Sharks Recall Jimmy Schuldt

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Veteran defenseman Jimmy Schuldt is getting another look with the Sharks.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Schuldt from AHL San Jose; it’s his fourth recall of the month.

The 29-year-old is in his first season with the Sharks after signing a one-year, two-way deal with them last summer.  He has seen his first NHL action since the 2018-19 campaign with Vegas so from that standpoint, the choice was a good one.

Schuldt has suited up in five games for the Sharks this season, all of which have come this month.  He has been held off the scoresheet in those outings while averaging a little under 15 minutes a game of playing time.  Meanwhile, with the Barracuda, Schuldt has six goals and 14 assists in 59 outings, his second straight year of declining offensive production in the AHL.

Schuldt is expected to add to his NHL games played total tonight against the Rangers as it’s believed he’ll draw in for the injured Vincent Desharnais.  However, his recall will likely be short-lived as Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News relays (Twitter link) that it appears that blueliner Marc-Edouard Vlasic will be available to play Sunday versus Los Angeles.  At that time, the emergency conditions for Schuldt’s recall will terminate, meaning he’ll either have to return to the Barracuda or be converted to one of San Jose’s four post-deadline regular recalls.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Karsen Dorwart

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Mar. 29: According to a team announcement, the Flyers have confirmed Dorwart’s two-year contract, also sharing that he’ll join the team immediately.

Mar. 28: Dorwart’s deal is done, per PuckPedia. He lands the maximum entry-level cap hit of $975K on his two-year deal, which begins immediately. His 2024-25 salary figure will be prorated. Dorwart will earn an $877.5K base salary, a $97.5K signing bonus, and an $85K minors salary each season with no performance bonuses.

Mar. 22: College free agency has already started for some players while some of the more notable ones will become available in the coming weeks once their Frozen Four tournament comes to an end.  One of the players in that category is Michigan State forward Karsen Dorwart.  He’s expected to have several suitors with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that several teams feel the Flyers are expected to strongly pursue Dorwart’s services.

The 22-year-old is in his junior year with the Spartans, one that has seen him take a bit of a step back offensively.  After putting up 15 goals and 19 assists in 38 games last season, Dorwart has 11 goals and 16 helpers in 33 games so far.  Despite the drop in output, he’s still second on the team in scoring behind Tampa Bay winger Isaac Howard.

Dorwart was viewed as one of the top college free agents available last year with Friedman noting that the Maple Leafs nearly landed him at that time before he decided to remain in school.  With that in mind, it seems likely that Toronto will take a run at trying to sign him again as well.  Dorwart is among the top options available again this year so it’s likely he’ll be able to secure a contract that allows him to play down the stretch this season (he won’t be playoff-eligible, however) and burn one of the two years of his entry-level deal in the process.

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