Snapshots: Brazeau, Horvat, Kleven
The Pittsburgh Penguins called on trade acquisition Elmer Soderblom to make his team debut on Sunday after Justin Brazeau was ruled out with an undisclosed injury, head coach Dan Muse told Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. The injury ended Brazeau’s streak of 37 consecutive games played, which was the seventh-longest streak on the team, as pointed out by Rorabaugh.
Brazeau’s absence will mark another blow to the Penguins offense after star Evgeni Malkin was handed a five-game suspension for slashing. Brazeau has three points in his last four games and 30 points in 48 games this season. He has accelerated a hot streak that began with the Boston Bruins last year, where he scored 20 points in 57 games. Pittsburgh brought rookie Avery Hayes back into the lineup in response ot Malkin’s absence. Now, they’ll turn towards the towering Soderblom to try and keep things going. He has only scored three points in 39 games this season.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- New York Islanders centerman Bo Horvat was fined $2,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct in the Islanders’ Saturday win over the San Jose Sharks per Frank Seravalli of Victory+. While delivering choice words to the Sharks’ bench, Horvat reached over and flicked the visor of winger William Eklund. He was not assessed a penalty on the play. Horvat has 27 goals and 44 points in 55 games this season, including one goal scored in Saturday’s 2-1 victory. He will stick in a premier lineup role and hope to make up his decreased funds with his on-ice performance.
- Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven was also assessed a fine by the NHL Department of Player Safety. He was forced to hand over $4,166.67, max allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann in the face in Saturday’s match between Ottawa and Seattle. Kleven was assessed a two-minute slashing, five-minute cross-checking, and 10-minute game misconduct penalty on the play, which occurred with just under four minutes left in regulation. He scored his second goal of the season prior to his ejection. Kleven is now up to 12 points and a minus-two in 57 games this season. He will continue in his role offering the Senators defensive depth.
Oilers Recall Josh Samanski Under Emergency Conditions
The Edmonton Oilers have recalled forward Josh Samanski under emergency conditions. This call-up will not count against Edmonton’s remaining regular season recalls. Samanski was moved to the AHL ahead of the Trade Deadline to ensure his eligibility for the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Oilers could face a hole in their fourth-line center spot if Adam Henrique is ruled out of Sunday’s matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. Henrique is a game-time decision due to an undisclosed injury per head coach Kris Knoblauch. The Oilers are already relying on trade acquisitions Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach to fill roles in their bottom-six and could now lean on another rookie to shore up their depth.
Samanski filled a fourth-line role in Edmonton’s March 3rd win over the Ottawa Senators but hasn’t had an extended tenure in the NHL since early-February. He played the first five games of his NHL career after a late-January call-up and scored two assists. Samanski has made a much bigger impact in a top-six center role with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, where he’s racked up 31 points in 45 games this season. He also represented Team Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics, scoring two points in five games.
Samanski is in his first professional season in North America after spending the last four seasons in Germany’s DEL. He totaled 40 goals and 93 points in 193 games at Germany’s top-level. That set a club record for U23 scoring with the Straubing Tigers, exceeding the previous record by 29 points. Samanski is still searching for his spark in the NHL but should still provide solid depth if Edmonton needs to call on him.
Big Hype Prospects: Morozov, Ignatavicius, Klepov, Henriquez, Hrenak
Welcome to PHR’s Big Hype Prospects series. Like the MLB Trade Rumors series of the same name, we’re taking a look at the performances of top prospects from across the hockey world. We’ll look at rising prospects for the upcoming draft who are worth keeping in mind.
Five Big Hype Prospects
Ilia Morozov, C, Miami University Red Hawks (NCHC)
35 GP, 8 G – 12 A – 20 TP, 27 PIM, +2
Among the many climbing into a spot in this year’s top 15, it may be bulky center Ilia Morozov who has most caught the eye of pro teams. He has played with an overwhelming layer of grit and energy to his game despite starting the year out as college hockey’s youngest player – a title that now belongs to Oscar Hemming, highlighted in our last Big Hype Prospects piece. Morozov’s hard work has translated to more ice time and success in the standings. Miami improved by 15 wins this season, the biggest jump of any Division I team this century excluding the Covid season per ESPN’s John Buccigross. That is in no small part thanks to Morozov, whose tenacity and two-way responsibility helped fortify Miami’s top-six. His game took a major stride from last season in the USHL and Morozov is still among the youngest players in the draft class. That added development time, and his six-foot-three, 205-pound frame, could be enough to convince teams to spend an early pick on the Russian power-forward.
Simas Ignatavicius, LW, Geneve-Servette (National League)
51 GP, 7 G – 8 A – 15 TP, 43 PIM, +6
Another major riser is winger Simas Ignatavicius, who is looking to become the first Lithuanian to be drafted into the NHL since Dainius Zubrus was selected in the 1996 first-round. Coincidentally, Zubrus has made his mark on Ignatavicius’ development path, and helped him elevate his game to a pro level very early on. Ignatavicius shines as a responsible and poised shooter, who knows how to fill his role on the forecheck and wait for the right moments to strike. He has an athletic, six-foot-three frame and smooth skating that come in handy on the forecheck. From there, Ignatavicius can work the cycle and connect with his teammates to create sustained offense. He has been a responsible, bottom-six forward in Switzerland’s top league – but recently boomed on a loan to the country’s second-tier pro league, with seven goals and 11 points in eight games. It was a nice reminder of the scoring upside that Ignatavicius can bring – and an even better reminder that Lithuania seems set to go three-for-three on draft prospects selected in the first round.
Nikita Klepov, RW, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
61 GP, 35 G – 52 A – 87 TP, 35 PIM, +7
Very few 2026 draft prospects have seen as much of a breakout this season as winger Nikita Klepov. He is hunting down the rare 100-point mark in his first OHL season. If he hits it, Klepov will become the first rookie to reach the century mark since Patrick Kane – though Kane had the benefit of two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program, while Klepov is only one season removed from playing 16U AAA. In between youth hockey and the CHL, he scored 31 points in 59 USHL games, after going completely undrafted in the league. Klepov has had a propensity for living above the moment – and shown off the toolkit to make it possible. He is explosive on the puck, capable of turning slow-moving breakouts into fast-moving offense that generates multiple scoring chances. Better yet, the 6-foot Klepov has shown no fear in crashing through opponents to force play in the slot. He has not caught the eye of every scout – but holds a big spot in the minds of those who favor him. Klepov will be one of many upside buys in this year’s draft, which could place him all over the board.
Roberto Leonardo Henriquez, G, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
29 GP, 17 W – 0.925 Sv% – 2.06 GAA, 2 SO, 1 A
The recent rise in goalie goals and goalie fights have opened the door to more ‘Goalie Gordie Howe Hat-Tricks’ – when a netminder records a goal, assist, and fight all in one season. Even then, the feat is hockey’s immaculate inning, maybe occurring once per season and always carrying a special air behind them (though, immaculate innings have become more popular as well). Roberto Leonardo Henriquez will have that rare feat on his resume as he enters the 2026 draft, to go along with the highest save percentage and lowest goals-against average in the USHL. He has been phenomenal after putting together a standout season in the NAHL that unfortunately did not result in a draft selection last season. The six-foot-two, Slovakia/Dominican Republic dual citizen, and University of New Hampshire commit has put together a year that should demand a draft selection in a quiet year for goalies.
Samuel Hrenak, G, Fargo Force (USHL)
4 GP, 3 W – 0.942 Sv% – 1.71 GAA, 0G, 1 SO, 0 A
There is a new challenger for Henriquez’s spot on top of USHL goaltending. Copatriot Samuel Hrenak has been stellar since joining the Fargo Force in February. He has allowed only seven goals through 13 periods of action, after posting a commendable .912 Sv% in 23 games in Slovakia’s U20 league to start the season. Hrenak also filled the dismal role of starting goalie for Team Slovakia’s U18 club, who compete in a handful of exhibition games in Slovakia’s second-tier pro league. That deployment meant a tough start to the year for Hrenak but he is now proving just how impactful he can be in games against his peers. He was ranked in the top-10 of European goalies in the NHL Central Scouting Service’s most recent update and should climb their final list if his dominant USHL start continues. He will be eyeing a mid-round pick, and an NCAA commitment, as the summer roles around – and should be a major addition wherever he ends up.
Flames Recall Matvei Gridin, Hunter Brzustewicz
Two top prospects will bolster the Calgary Flames roster after shaking up their lineup at the Trade Deadline. Winger Matvei Gridin and defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz have both been recalled per a team announcement. The duo will support the Flames as they embark on a five-game road trip beginning on Monday.
Gridin was returned to the minor leagues after a five-game stint in the NHL that stretched from late February to the NHL Trade Deadline. His assignment ensures that Gridin will be eligible for the Calder Cup Playoffs, though the Calgary Wranglers currently sit second-to-last in the AHL’s Pacific Division. Gridin has been a major part of their offense any time he is in the minor leagues. He has 29 points in 37 games this season, good for the sixth-highest points-per-game average on the Wranglers.
The dynamic scorer has has ups-and-downs in his trek to bring that scoring to the top flight. Gridin has a stout seven points in the first 18 games of his NHL career. More than half of those points – five – came during a nine-game stretch from mid-January to early-February, before he was returned to the AHL. It took four games for Gridin to get back onto an NHL scoresheet after he was called back up in late-February. That has been the hot-and-cold streak that Calgary’s top wing prospect has ridden through his first pro season.
It was Brzustewicz who stepped up in the Wranglers’ latest action, netting an assist on Saturday night to snap a nine-game scoring drought. That streak began one game after Brzustewicz was reassigned to the minor leagues, after he recorded an assist in his first game back. He too has ridden an up-and-down year, marked by two points in 18 NHL games and 14 points in 34 AHL games. The puck-moving defenseman has honed his ability to make plays in either end of the ice, while spotlighting his ability to move pucks through the neutral zone – the bread-and-butter of Brzustewicz’s game.
Brzustewicz could have the easier path to a lineup role after Zach Whitecloud left Saturday’s win over the Carolina Hurricanes in the first period. That injury should bump Zayne Parekh and Brayden Pachal up a lineup spot, opening room for Brzustewicz to play in his first NHL game since January from the bottom pair. Gridin will have to compete with newcomers Ryan Strome and Victor Olofsson for minutes in Calgary’s bottom-six. The rookie could be the odd-man-out as the Flames look to shore up their center depth. If he sits, Gridin will offer a nice bit of offensive upside from the press box, and could potentially replace bruisers Adam Klapka or Ryan Lomberg on the fourth-line.
Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog Out Week-To-Week
The Colorado Avalanche will be without a second-line winger for the short future. Captain Gabriel Landeskog has been designated as out week-to-week with a lower-body injury after taking a shot from Cale Makar to the groin per Corey Masisak of The Denver Post. Landeskog had a puck-sized dent in his athletic cup after the game, adds Masisak.
Landeskog has already missed 14 games to various injuries this season. Luckily, none of them have been connected to the knee injuries that held Landeskog out of three regular seasons, from 2022 to 2025. He made a brief return for the playoffs in 2022 and 2025 – combining for 26 points in 25 games. That momentum set Landeskog up for a major, and important, return this season. Through some bouts with injury, he has found a way to match the bill, netting 29 points in 47 games and returning to his clear-cut role as Colorado’s second-line left-wing.
Landeskog’s playmaking has helped spark veteran center Brock Nelson in his first full season with the club. Nelson has a tremendous 30 goals and 53 points in 61 games, helped along by a 21.1 shooting percentage. When he’s not playing off of Nelson, Landeskog has been deployed on Colorado’s top line, next to high-tempo scorers Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas. He has matched that duo’s pace and outscored opponents 15-to-three in his top-line minutes.
It is that layer of versatile scoring that Colorado will now have to replace. They’ll, luckily, find the perfect source of offense in Trade Deadline pickup Nazem Kadri. Kadri reached his career-high in scoring – 87 points – in Colorado’s Cup-winning 2021-22 season. He has spent the last four years in a clear #1 role on a middling Calgary Flames offense. The jolt of rejoining a red-hot Avalanche club could be enough to spark Kadri’s scoring once again. He will assume Landeskog’s role on the second-line wing, at least until the Avalanche’s captain is back to full health.
Colorado sits comfortably on top of the Western Conference, with seven more points and a game in hand over the second-place Dallas Stars. Even better, they have a fairly light schedule through the next few weeks, with multiple matchups against the Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguins, and St. Louis Blues. Those games are intercut with tough tests against the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars but Colorado should have plenty of runway to find a spark headed into those games. They will lean on Kadri to adjust quick and keep the offense firing, while envisioning what their lineup could look like at full health, when Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen are in their proper spots.
Poll: Which Deadline Day Pickup Will Make The Biggest Impact?
The 2026 Trade Deadline was stalled before it had a chance to launch thanks to a rare December blockbuster that sent Quinn Hughes across the Western Conference. Hughes has since scored 39 points in 31 games with the Minnesota Wild, putting together an impact with his new team that no player in the league could hope to match. Through a quiet Deadline, a few moving pieces could bring enough of a boost to bolster their new team’s chances of making the playoffs or contending for the Stanley Cup.
The top candidate to make a big splash is center Nazem Kadri, who rejoins the Colorado Avalanche after averaging 27 goals and 64 points per 82 games played with the Calgary Flames, across four seasons. Kadri was a constant source of offense on a Flames deep who saw their supplies diminish as the years went on. Then again, he reached his career-high in scoring with an 87-point season in 2021-22, his final year in Colorado. Kadri earned his first Stanley Cup ring that year and now rejoins the Avalanche in the middle of their best season since. He will hold an important, middle-six role either in relief of Brock Nelson‘s second-line role or in bringing a power-punch to Colorado’s depth. Leaving behind a #1 role in Calgary could kneecap Kadri’s offense but joining a team like Colorado could be enough to bring it back up.
Another easy choice is Anaheim’s acquisition of career-Washington Capital defenseman John Carlson. The deal was finalized just after 1 AM ET on March 6th, when much of the hockey world, and Carlson himself, were asleep. In the quiet of the night, Anaheim pulled off a monumental move to bring in one of the league’s top offensive-defensemen. Even in his age-36 season, Carlson has racked up 10 goals and 46 points in 55 games with the Capitals. He has proven to still be an effective scorer even into his sunset seasons, though got bumped out of Washington’s top-defender role by the emergence of Jakob Chychrun. Instead, he will head to the West coast to challenge Jacob Trouba for the role of top-right defense on the Pacific Division’s top team. He is currently nursing a day-to-day, lower-body injury but Carlson could really click with Anaheim’s fast-moving, hard-working offense when he steps into the lineup.
A pair of St. Louis Blues will look to do enough to join this list as they head to the Eastern Conference. Defenseman Justin Faulk was acquired by the Detroit Red Wings for an expensive package. The Red Wings will need to pipe him into a key role to justify their pricey buy. Luckily, they’re in need of a high-motor, third-string defender who can bring oomph behind the top pair of Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider. Faulk stood as St. Louis’ top defenseman, and main play-driver from the blue-line, even as his overall performances began to slip. In competition with Ben Chiarot and Axel Sandin Pellikka, it should be easy for Faulk to emerge as the caterer of offense away from Detroit’s top pair.
Meanwhile, Brayden Schenn will hope for improved minutes as he joins a playoff-contending New York Islanders club. Schenn’s role in St. Louis dwindled to a support presence in his final years, usually spent platooning the center role with one of the Blues’ young prospects. He hit an offensive wall this season as a result – just 28 points in 62 games – but is only one year removed from scoring 18 goals and 50 points, with a positive plus-minus. Schenn has slowed substantially in his mid-30s, but he remains a dangerous shooter and effective playmaker. If the Islanders can help him find some pseudo-tempo, he could be a candidate for a streak of shooting luck.
Who do you think will leave the biggest mark for his new club? Use the 2025-26 In-Season Trade Tracker to see the list of Trade Deadline day moves and vote below!
Which NHL Trade Deadline Pickup Will Make The Biggest Impact?
-
COL - Nazem Kadri, C 39% (336)
-
ANA - John Carlson, D 25% (214)
-
DET - Justin Faulk, D 17% (141)
-
NYI - Brayden Schenn, C 12% (104)
-
Other (Comment Below!) 7% (58)
Total votes: 853
Photo courtesy of Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports.
Kings To Wait Until Summer To Discuss Scott Laughton Extension
The Los Angeles Kings are in no rush to cement Scott Laughton into their lineup. The team will wait until the summer to talk about extending Laughton per Mayor’s Manor. Los Angeles acquired Laughton before the Trade Deadline in exchange for a conditional 2026 third-round pick that could become a second-round pick if the Kings make the playoffs.
Laughton fell to a fourth-line role with the Maple Leafs this season. He only racked up eight goals and 12 points in 43 games with Toronto, while averaging 13:40 in ice time. Laughton has made up for low scoring with a 56.7 faceoff percentage and 78 hits. Those marks ranked third and fourth on the offense respectively. But a quiet season hasn’t meant a bad season for Laughton. He was one of Toronto’s most impactful penalty-killers, only allowing eight goals-against, second-fewest among the Maple Leafs’ routine penalty-killing units behind Matthew Knies (six goals-against).
Laughton was once a locked-in piece of the Philadelphia Flyers’ middle-six. He was a reliable, two-way center and served as one of the club’s alternate captain from 2022 to 2025. Laughton brings a spark of reliable, depth impact that could benefit a Kings lineup recently gutted by injuries to Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko.
The Kings will get a chance to test out that impact with 21 games left in the regular season. Laughton should step into Los Angeles’ third-line center role – a boost over his deployment in Toronto – where he will likely anchor a rotation of wingers. The Kings currently have newcomer Mathieu Joseph and rookie Jared Wright in bottom-six roles, but Laughton could soon be flanked by Kenny Connors, Trevor Moore, Jeff Malott, or another AHL call-up. His ability to support a flux of partners could go far in proving Laughton’s ability to anchor the Kings’ bottom-six through the next few seasons.
Los Angeles carried $16.77MM in projected cap space through the Trade Deadline and will only become richer when Anze Kopitar‘s $7MM cap hit comes off of the books this summer. The Kings will have all of the funds that they need to re-sign Laughton to a reasonable deal after his current five-year, $15MM contract comes to a close. A new deal for the 31 year old could be in the realm of two or three seasons and between $2MM and $3MM. If the Kings opt not to keep Laughton around, he would become a popular bit of veteran depth on a thin center market this summer.
Blackhawks Sign Caydon Edwards To PTO, Spencer Knight Sick
The Chicago Blackhawks had to change their lineup plans just before Friday night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. Goaltender Spencer Knight was announced as unavailable due to an illness before the game, forcing the team to sign local goaltender Caydon Edwards to a professional try-out to serve as backup goaltender, per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio. Edwards frequently serves as a practice goaltender for the Blackhawks and coaches the loacl Chicago Phantoms 16U AAA team.
Knight has settled back to Earth after a strong start to the year. He has a .905 save percentage in 15 games since the start of 2026. His new year began with a 5-2-0 streak but that has since been squashed with a 1-4-2 record in his last seven games. Knight has set 16 wins and a .908 save percentage in 42 games this season, all career-highs for the first-year starter.
The Blackhawks turned towards Arvid Soderblom for their starting role in light of Knight’s illness. Soderblom has six wins and a .879 save percentage in 18 games this season. The campaign has continued his streak of sub-.900 save percentages into its fifth season. He is a true backup who is coming off of his first NHL shutout, recorded against the Utah Mammoth on March 1st.
Edwards’ played five seconds of one game for the ECHL’s Indy Fuel in the 2023-24 season. He grew up through Canadian junior hockey and played a handful of semi-professional games from 2017 to 2022. He has served as a Chicago-based goaltending coach since 2023, supporting the Windy City Storm and Phantoms at multiple levels.
Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin Suspended Five Games For Slashing
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without a cornerstone of the lineup for the short-term. Forward Evgeni Malkin has been suspended for five games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for slashing Buffalo Sabres’ defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the face. He will be eligible to return on March 16th, when the Penguins face the Colorado Avalanche.
Malkin has been suspended twice in his career. His first was a one-game suspension for slashing opponents in the head during a Penguins versus Flyers matchup on February 11th, 2019. The second was a four-game suspension handed out on April 11, 2022 for cross-checking an opponent in the face. With Malkin’s track record in mind, he will now land the longest suspension of his career, and forfeit $158,854.15 in salary, while Buffalo appreciates the silver lining that Dahlin wasn’t seriously injured on the play.
Malkin is an important piece of the offense when he’s in the lineup. He has averaged 17:29 in ice time this season – a career-low – but still sees upwards of 20 minutes a night when the Penguins lean into their veteran leaders. Malkin has scored 13 goals and 47 points in 46 games this season, making him one of only two Penguins still scoring above a point-per-game pace alongside Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh will need to find a way to replace that offense now that Malkin will miss time.
Pittsburgh has recalled winger Ville Koivunen from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to try and bridge that gap. Koivunen has scored 33 points in 28 AHL games this season but only has five points in 27 NHL games to go with it. He is still searching for a spark and could find one in a top-nine role with Malkin out. Pittsburgh is also carrying Kevin Hayes and newcomer Elmer Soderblom as extra forwards after the Trade Deadline. Hayes has scored five points in 25 games this season, while Soderblom had three points in 39 games with Detroit.
Devils Notes: Pesce, Cholowski, Gritsyuk
The New Jersey Devils will be down a usual lineup piece this weekend. Defenseman Brett Pesce will be unavailable due to a lower-body injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale.
Pesce has already missed 25 games this season with extended absences in November and February. He fills a key role in the lineup when healthy, playing upwards of 22 minutes a night when New Jersey is looking for a shutdown piece. Pesce has worked to seven points and a minus-11 in 37 games this season. He ranks second on the Devils in shot blocks (80) and fourth on the defense in takeaways (16). Pesce has been knocked off course by injury in his age-31 season but his two-way reliability will still continue to command major lineup minutes when he’s back to full health.
Other notes out of New Jersey:
- The Devils have responded to Pesce’s injury by recalling depth defenseman Dennis Cholowski from the AHL. Cholowski didn’t begin his season until November, due to injury, but his year started on the NHL roster. He scored one point in 15 games through November and December while filling in during Pesce’s first extended absence of the season. Cholowski was reassigned on December 14th and has spent the entirety of the new calendar year in the AHL. He has racked up five assists in 13 games. Pesce’s injury likely won’t push Cholowski ahead of Simon Nemec and Brendan Dillon on the depth chart but it will give New Jersey one more set of hands as they approach back-to-back games.
- Away from injury news, the Devils have also begun talks of a contract extension with winger Arseny Gritsyuk, general manager Tom Fitzgerald told Devils’ team reporter Amanda Stein. Gristyuk has scored 11 goals and 26 points in 58 games as an NHL rookie this season. He is on pace for 15 goals and 37 points across a full 82-game season, which would be the seventh-highest scoring total from a Devils rookie since 2000. Gritsyuk blossomed in Russia’s KHL over the last three seasons, kicked off with 40 points in 60 games of Omsk Avangard’ 2022-23 campaign, and concluded with 44 points in 49 games with SKA St. Petersburg last year. He has adjusted seamlessly into an NHL top-nine role in the season since. That should be enough to earn Gritsyuk a contract with term as he looks to sign the first deal after his entry-level contract. He is set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer.