Rangers Recall Brandon Scanlin, Ryan Lindgren Week-To-Week
The New York Rangers have recalled defenseman Brandon Scanlin from the minor leagues, with Ryan Lindgren expected to miss a “few weeks” with a lower-body injury, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. Scanlin signed a two-year, two-way, $1.6MM contract extension with the Rangers in February, after a strong start to the year with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.
Scanlin, 24, joined the Wolf Pack following the end of the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s 2021-22 season, recording one assist, one penalty, and a -1 in his first 15 AHL games. He more formally played his rookie pro season last year, tallying 15 points and 30 penalty minutes in 61 games. He’s managed to improve on both of those stats this year, netting 16 points and 39 penalty minutes in 57 games. Scanlin will now get a chance to make his NHL debut, after receiving the first call-up of his young career.
Lindgren joins team captain Jacob Trouba (lower-body) on the team’s absentee list, with both players week-to-week with injuries. That should give Scanlin plenty of time to slot into the lineup, though he’ll have to compete with veteran defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, who is currently serving as New York’s seventh defenseman. Ruhwedel has yet to make his debut with the Rangers since joining the team at the Trade Deadline, with New York sending a 2027 fourth-round pick back to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ruhwedel has managed one goal and four points in 47 games with Pittsburgh this season, a slight step down from the one goal and five points he managed in the same duration last year. His trade to New York ended an eight-year stint in Pittsburgh.
Afternoon Notes: Bischel, Marner, Lyubushkin, Regenda
The Boston Bruins have returned to the well in South Bend, signing the University of Notre Dame’s Ryan Bischel to a one-year, minor-league contract that begins next season. Bischel joins the Providence Bruins just one week after Notre Dame teammate Drew Bavaro signed a deal with the team. Bavaro – who signed an amateur try-out for the rest of this season, in addition to a one-year deal next season – has since played in the first two AHL games of his career, recording one penalty and two shots. Boston also acquired former Notre Dame captain Andrew Peeke at the Trade Deadline, sending Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Bruins are landing one of the top NCAA free agents in Bischel, who is a finalist for Big Ten Goaltender of the Year this season after winning the award last year. The 24-year-old netminder has served as Notre Dame’s full-time starter over the last two seasons, recording a combined 31 wins and .928 save percentage. He’s been dazzling for the Fighting Irish, earning the eighth-most wins and seventh-best save percentage in program history over his five years in Indiana.
Bischel now joins a Bruins goalie room filled with great talent, including reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark, William M. Jennings Trophy batterymate Jeremy Swayman, and 2023 AHL All-Star Brandon Bussi. The Bruins reportedly tried to move Ullmark at the Deadline, though the esteemed netminder invoked his no-trade clause to block the deal. Boston could be poised to revisit those trade talks this summer, after bolstering their depth charts with this move.
Other notes from around the league:
- Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is doubtful for the team’s Tuesday game against Philadelphia, per head coach Sheldon Keefe (Twitter Link), who shares that Lyubushkin is battling illness. Keefe also shared that star forward Mitch Marner continues to carry a day-to-day designation and won’t join the team on their upcoming two-game road trip. Marner has missed Toronto’s last three games with a high ankle sprain, while Lyubushkin may exit the lineup after battling through an undisclosed injury, and questionable designation, for the team’s Saturday game.
- The Anaheim Ducks have sent Pavol Regenda back to the AHL after recalling him on an emergency loan on March 12th. Regenda played in four NHL games on the recall, recording no points, two penalty minutes, and a -1. He also managed four blocks, six shots on net, and 10 hits. The matchups bring Regenda to 19 career NHL games, though the one goal and three points he managed in 14 games last season stand as his only scoring. The 24-year-old winger also has 16 goals and 29 points in 39 AHL games this season.
Snapshots: Guenette, Hamonic, Edstrom, St. Ivany, Pleshkov
It’s been a busy St. Patrick’s Day for the transactions log, kicked off by the Ottawa Senators’ assigning of Max Guenette to the minor leagues (Twitter link). Guenette has been with the NHL roster since the first week of March. He’s since appeared in six games with the Senators, going without a point but adding one penalty and a -1. It was Guenette’s first extended stint in the NHL, after playing his second career game in the league in February. He’s still searching for his first NHL point, though he has managed five goals and 29 points in 49 AHL games this season.
Guenette’s assignment is a sign that Travis Hamonic could be nearing a return, says Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter Link). Hamonic has been on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury since March 3rd. He previously missed five games ahead of the All-Star Break, bearing with an upper-body injury suffered in late January. He’s played in just 47 of Ottawa’s 65 games this season, recording six points, 40 penalty minutes, and a -9. Even if he is nearing a return, it’s not likely that Hamonic will take on a major role, averaging just below 15 minutes of ice time this season. Still, he adds the experience of an 840-game veteran to the lineup, replacing the rookie Guenette.
Other notes from around the league:
- The New York Rangers have sent Adam Edstrom back to the AHL (Twitter Link). He was recalled to the NHL on March 15th under emergency conditions, though he hasn’t appeared in a game with the Rangers since March 4th. Edstrom has received the first 11 games of his NHL career this season and has managed two goals, two penalty minutes, and a +2. The 6’7″ bruiser has also added 30 hits, averaging the fourth-most hits on the Rangers lineup, behind William Cuylle, Matt Rempe, and Jacob Trouba.
- Pittsburgh has also made a roster move, sending down defenseman Jack St. Ivany from his first professional recall, per CapFriendly (Twitter Link). St. Ivany didn’t receive his debut in his first stint in the NHL, serving as a healthy scratch in Pittsburgh’s Saturday afternoon loss to the New York Rangers. He’ll now return to the AHL, where he’s already managed 12 points, 30 penalty minutes, and a +14 in 52 games.
- Hockey history has been made in Russia’s VHL – the league immediately below the KHL – when SKA-Neva took on AKM. The game went to five overtimes and 21-year-old goaltender Artemi Pleshkov carried a shutout until the very last shot, saving an incredible 124 shots. The 125th shot was too much, though, as Pleshkov and SKA fell 1-0 after 158 minutes of hockey. Pleshkov, who is undrafted in the NHL, has been fantastic this season, recording 12 wins and a .943 save percentage in 23 VHL games this season. He’s also managed a .926 in 10 KHL games, and a .947 in seven playoff games. His amazing game tops Alexander Borodulya‘s 107-save performance in the Belarussian Extraliga – the previous record.
Maple Leafs Move Calle Jarnkrok To LTIR, Activate Conor Timmins
The Toronto Maple Leafs have moved forward Calle Jarnkrok back to long-term injured reserve, once again with a hand injury – per CapFriendly. Jarnkrok suffered the injury in the team’s March 14th win over the Philadelphia Flyers, exiting early after falling awkwardly into the boards. He seemed to collide his head, shoulder, and lower arm with the boards, making it hard to determine the specifics of his injury. It’s also not clear if the injury relates to the broken knuckle Jarnkrok suffered in late January. That injury earned him a month-long stint on LTIR and forced him out of 13 games.
In a corresponding move, the Maple Leafs have also activated defenseman Conor Timmins off of LTIR. He’s been out since February 13th with mononucleosis. Timmins has also had a string of absences this season, with a lower-body injury delaying the start of his season until late November. Timmins has played in just 16 games this season, notching one goal, six points, eight penalty minutes, and a +5. Jarnkrok’s sidelining and Timmins’ activation were made ahead of Toronto’s Saturday night loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, though Timmins wasn’t rostered for the game.
The Leafs will need to change up their lineup once again, with Jarnkrok joining Mitch Marner sidelined with injury. The absences have earned Pontus Holmberg a top-six role next to Tyler Bertuzzi and Auston Matthews, while Nicholas Robertson has slotted back onto the third line after a brief stint out of the lineup. Both Holmberg and Robertson are still searching for their scoring groove this season, with just 13 and 20 points respectively. They will work with other depth forwards like Connor Dewar and Noah Gregor to try and keep Toronto red-hot, after the team has gone 16-5-1 in their last 22 games. Meanwhile, Timmins will add extended depth to a blue-line that recently acquired Ilya Lyubushkin and Joel Edmundson. They’ll have plenty of blue-liners to choose from, with Timmins and Simon Benoit operating as healthy scratches and Mark Giordano currently out with injury.
Canucks Sign Christian Felton To Entry-Level Deal
4:19 p.m.: Felton’s ELC carries a cap hit of $870K and is signed for next season, per CapFriendly. He’ll be an RFA upon expiry in 2025. The deal will pay him $775K in base salary, $95K in signing bonuses, and up to $80K in performance bonuses along with a $82.5K minors salary.
12:06 p.m.: The Vancouver Canucks have joined in on NCAA free agency, signing defenseman Christian Felton to a one-year, entry-level contract. Felton joins Vancouver as an undrafted free agent after spending the last three seasons with Merrimack College, which he joined after one year with Bentley University. Felton has been out of action since February, battling with an upper-body injury. He’ll join the Abbotsford Canucks and is poised to make his pro debut when healthy.
Felton was the only undrafted defenseman invited to Vancouver’s development camp last year and he clearly made an impact, now signing his first pro contract with the club despite a shortened season. Felton, who had many teams interested in him per Rick Dhaliwal of Chek News, is a stout defender who mans the defensive side of the ice well – using good physicality, an active stick, and cheeky passing to gather and maintain possession. While he could benefit from improved foot speed, Felton’s awareness and reaction speed help him keep up with any opponents. His calm demeanor was a key piece of both Merrimack’s power-play and penalty kill, speaking to his versatility.
Felton is also a right-hand shot, something highly coveted to a Canucks organization that’s currently boasting 14 left-handed defenders to 11 right-handed defenders. That could give Felton a leg-up in the depth chart, though he’ll still have to carve his teeth in the AHL before he earns a role with the Canucks. If he’s able to adjust to pros well, Felton could start to challenge Jett Woo as the team’s de facto right-handed call-up.
Jets’ Gabriel Vilardi Out Indefinitely With Enlarged Spleen
Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi has an enlarged spleen and will be out indefinitely, shares head coach Rick Bowness after the team’s Friday practice. Vilardi has missed the team’s last seven games and will now miss at least five more, as the Jets take off on an extended road trip that Vilardi won’t join. Bowness added that this issue was recently discovered and that Vilardi is receiving treatment.
Vilardi has been limited to just 38 games this season, missing six weeks of play earlier in the season after suffering a sprained MCL and suffering scattered day-to-day injuries throughout the year. It’s been far from an ideal start to Vilardi’s time in Winnipeg, after joining the team alongside Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 second-round pick in the deal that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings. It’s unfortunate to see injuries marring Vilardi’s season, which has been incredibly productive when he is healthy. The 24-year-old centerman has 16 goals and 30 points on the year, scoring at an 82-game pace of 35 goals and 65 points. It’s the highest scoring-pace of Vilardi’s career, continuing the strong pace he set last season when he totaled 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games.
Missing Vilardi has left a notable hole in the Jets’ top-six. And while extra ice time to Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton helped supplement that absence, the Jets were still in need of an extra spark – leading them to acquire the New Jersey Devils’ leading goal-scorer in Tyler Toffoli. Winnipeg sent a second and third round pick to New Jersey for Toffoli and, while he hasn’t scored a point in two games with the Jets, the 31-year-old veteran is clearly feeling comfortable, maintaining his high-volume shooting with nine shot attempts in his pair of games. The Jets will hope that comfortability turns into goals very quickly, as they’re now down Vilardi for the short term, at least.
Penguins Recall Jack St. Ivany, Assign Ryan Shea
The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Jack St. Ivany and assigned Ryan Shea to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Twitter link).
This marks the first recall of St. Ivany’s career, coming in his second pro season. St. Ivany was originally drafted 112th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2018, though he signed his first pro deal with the Penguins in 2022 after going unsigned by Philadelphia. St. Ivany took his talents to Yale University in the year after his draft, playing two seasons in the Ivy League before transferring to Boston College for his final two years of college. Despite never being known for his high scoring, St. Ivany managed 60 points across 115 NCAA games, including a collegiate-high 24 points in his senior year. He made his jump to the AHL last season, recording eight assists, 33 penalty minutes, and a -17 in 63 games but failing to score his first professional goal. That feat had to wait until this season, where St. Ivany has managed a much more serviceable four goals, 12 points, 30 penalty minutes, and +14 in 52 games. The 24-year-old is currently riding a 10-game cold streak, though, failing to score a point since a two-goal performance on February 14th.
St. Ivany now jumps to the NHL level, where he’ll serve in a depth role that was previously maintained by Shea. The two defenders aren’t far off, both posting meager scoring totals but bringing an impact with their long reach and poised passing. The Penguins will hope St. Ivany can produce a little bit more than Shea, who has yet to record his first NHL point through 22 career games. But with the Penguins defense healthy and, for the most part, clicking – it may be a bit before St. Ivany receives his NHL debut.
Doug Armstrong Named Canada GM For 2026 Winter Olympics
Hockey Canada has named St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong as General Manager for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Other announced roles include Ryan Getzlaf as the Player Relations Advisor, Scott Salmond as Senior Vice-President of High Performance and Hockey Operations, Katherine Henderson as President and CEO, and Pat McLaughlin as COO and Executive Vice-President of Strategy.
Armstrong has become a key piece of Canada’s representation overseas. He’s been a part of two other Olympic Games, both in an assistant general manager capacity, and seven different World Championship or World Cup tournaments. Canada has won big under his leadership, with Armstrong boasting two Olympic gold medals and three World Championship gold medals. He’ll now get a chance to field what may be one of the best Canadian teams of all time, with the end of Sidney Crosby‘s career, the prime of Connor McDavid‘s career, and the start of Connor Bedard‘s career all lining up perfectly. The team could also bring star defenseman Cale Makar, if the restrictions placed on members of Canada’s 2018 World Juniors Championship team are lifted before 2026.
One question that Armstrong will face is who the proper goaltender for Team Canada really is. His appointment is great news for Jordan Binnington, who served as a pivotal piece of Armstrong’s sole Stanley Cup win and continues to thrive in St. Louis. But Binnington isn’t the best Canadian goaltender on paper, with Vegas’ Adin Hill also championing his team to a Stanley Cup and consistently fighting for the NHL’s lead in save percentage, when he’s healthy. There’s also 25-year-old Stuart Skinner, who emphatically claimed an NHL starting role last season and has since posted 59 wins and a .911 in 98 games. Skinner hasn’t found his way into any hardware yet, but could offer a stronger impact when the Olympics role around in two years. With Team USA boasting Connor Hellebuyck and Jeremy Swayman, and Russia likely to bring Igor Shesterkin or Ilya Sorokin if they participate, Team Canada will need to make sure they’re as strong in net as they will be everywhere else. Those decisions will now be left up to one of the NHL’s longest-tenured general managers in Doug Armstrong.
New Jersey Devils To Circle Back On Juuse Saros Trade
The New Jersey Devils made valiant efforts to acquire a top goaltender this Trade Deadline but weren’t able to grab a bona fide star, instead landing Kaapo Kahkonen from the San Jose Sharks and Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens. That will have to be enough to get the Devils through the end of the season, but James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now reports that the team isn’t done searching for their top netminder, planning to “investigate” a trade for Juuse Saros this summer. The Devils were interested in Saros ahead of the Deadline, though the Nashville Predators weren’t then eager to move their top goalie.
Only one goaltender – Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck – has played in more games than Saros since 2019. And only five goalies have managed better save percentages in that stretch – Linus Ullmark, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, Jeremy Swayman, and Hellebuyck. Saros is apart of elite company, and boasts some of the best consistency in the league, with a save percentage above .910 in seven of his nine NHL seasons. That includes his career-high .927 set in 36 games during the 2020-21 season. The strong performances have earned him Vezina Trophy votes in each of the last three seasons – finishing sixth, third, and fourth in voting respectively. And while his streak of Vezina voting may end this year, Saros has still been solid, posting 28 wins and a .907 – 17th among the league’s starting goalies (minimum 30 games played).
Saros, 28, has been simply fantastic in Nashville, posting a career .918 save
percentage in 339 games. His departure would leave big shoes to fill – and an exciting opportunity for top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov, who Nashville selected 11th-overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. Askarov has since carved out a major role in the minor leagues, posting 22 wins and a .915 save percentage in 33 games this season. It’s his second year in the starting cage of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, with Askarov posting an impressive stat line of 26 wins and .911 in 48 games last year. His success has extended to the three NHL games he’s received over the last two years as well, with Askarov saving 58 of the 64 shots he faced while posting a 1-1-0 record. There’s a lot to be excited about with Askarov, who is still just 21 and already has the bravado needed to carry his teams to hard-earned wins, ranking second in the AHL with five shutouts.
Nashville could charge a very, very high price for the consistently-effective Saros. But the deal would be unprecedented, with the St. Louis Blues’ Deadline acquisition of Ryan Miller in 2014 likely the closest trade in terms of scale. That move cost the Blues their current starter – Jaroslav Halak – two depth forwards, and a first and third round draft selection. And that move came without a contract extension, with Miller playing just 25 games in St. Louis before moving on to the Vancouver Canucks. While Saros will also be in the last year of his contract next season, the Devils – or any interested team – will have all season to work out a long-term extension. That opportunity provides value in its own right, likely boosting the already pricey return.
New Jersey currently possesses a first-round pick in 2024, 2025, and 2026, as well as a healthy deal of mid-round selections. They also have plenty of promising young talent in Alexander Holtz, who hasn’t yet carved out a strong NHL role, or Seamus Casey, a fantastic defense prospect who could struggle to find his own role on New Jersey’s impressive blue-line. Nashville will be embracing the future when they move from Saros to Askarov, and high-value picks or prospects will need to be the focus of a return as a result. Hockey fans are set up for an exciting summer, as the Predators see just how much they can receive for their top-notch starter.
Oilers Showed Interest In Extending Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick
The Edmonton Oilers didn’t have much cap space or buying power ahead of the Trade Deadline, heavily limiting the lineup upgrades they could bring in. And rather than fight through the nitty-gritty of the cap, Edmonton instead opted to make one very calculated, and very impactful, trade – acquiring Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a first-round pick in 2024 and a fourth and fifth-round pick in 2025. Aside from quietly acquiring veteran depth defender Troy Stecher, the big-name buy from Anaheim was Edmonton’s only Deadline move. And now it seems the Oilers are trying to stretch out the impact of the deal, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that the team showed interest in extending both of their new faces.
Now, it’s no surprise to see Edmonton trying to get the most out of what they paid for, especially with both Henrique and Carrick set to become unrestricted
free agents this summer. But Henrique is 34 and Carrick 32, likely limiting any contract negotiations to the short-term. That’ll be a change of pace for the veteran Henrique, who’s had just three contracts across his 14-year NHL career. What’s more, he’ll be roughly one full season away from his 1,000th game in the NHL when this season ends – meaning wherever Henrique signs next is likely where he achieves that tremendous feat. He’s shown plenty of loyalty throughout his career – playing eight years in New Jersey and seven years in Anaheim – but a looming retirement could leave the 34-year-old considering if Edmonton is where he wants to finish out. There would be no shortage of interested parties if Henrique did hit the open market, though extending him would go far in solidifying Edmonton as a top team over the next few years.
But while Henrique is an established veteran newly exposed to the world of short-term deals, Carrick is on the eighth contract of his eight-year career in the NHL. He’s in just his third full-time NHL season, finally carving out a confident role on the 2021-22 Ducks roster. He’s totaled 22 goals and 37 points across 180 games since then, adding a strong 50.5 faceoff percentage and 362 hits. Carrick fills a lot of the boxes teams look for in fourth-liners, and he’s admirably serving in that role for the Oilers. But after cap retention in the trade, Carrick is contributing just $425K to Edmonton’s salary cap. That’s a great price for an effective fourth-liner, but richer prices could be too much to bear for an Oilers team that could afford space for young players. Carrick likely doesn’t demand much on the open market, but how Edmonton decides to approach his extension could serve to lock up their bottom six.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.