Canadiens’ Alexander Zharovsky Remaining In KHL For 2026-27
The Canadiens’ young lineup still has a few notable pieces on the way. They’ll have to wait at least one more season to see one of them, though. Winger Alexander Zharovsky, last year’s 34th overall pick, confirmed Sunday that he’s remaining with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the Kontinental Hockey League to honor the final season of his contract in Russia (via Marco D’Amico of RG).
Zharovsky already looks like one of the steals of the 2025 class. Touted as a late-first-round talent by a few, most still expected him to be available with the Habs’ pick at 34.
He responded with a spectacular rookie season in the KHL this year after playing out his draft season in Russia’s junior circuit. Zharovsky was a three-time Rookie of the Month and was named to the league’s All-Star Game. With 16 goals and 42 points in 59 games, Zharovsky ranked third on Salavat in scoring and was second in points per game.
Even with some big-time names graduating over the last two seasons, the Habs still have a top-10 prospect pool in the league. Zharovsky’s standout 2025-26 campaign was enough to elevate him to #3 in the organization, per The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler – ahead of stagnating 2023 fifth overall pick David Reinbacher – and have him well-positioned to be a top-six contributor for Montreal in a couple of years’ time.
But unlike some high-profile Russian names over the past couple of years, it doesn’t appear there will be an early exit from Zharovsky’s overseas contractual obligations. Since the NHL doesn’t have a transfer agreement with the KHL, teams can’t sign their Russian prospects while they’re actively under contract with KHL clubs. Doing so requires the player and club to agree to terminate the deal – often at great cost to the player if not agreed to mutually.
Senators’ Ridly Greig Facing Suspension
Senators forward Ridly Greig‘s season is over following Ottawa’s sweep at the hands of the Hurricanes, which was finished off yesterday. He’ll now be facing a delayed start to his 2026-27 campaign as well. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Sunday that Greig will have a hearing for roughing Carolina defenseman Sean Walker in their Game 4 loss.
Obviously, there’s no rush to make the decision. Still, it shouldn’t be more than a few days until Greig learns his fate. It’s not an in-person hearing, so his looming supplemental discipline won’t be any longer than five games.
Greig wasn’t penalized on the play, which was largely missed in the moment. At the midpoint of the second period in one of the many after-the-whistle scrums on Saturday, Walker and Ottawa winger Warren Foegele were engaged in a pseudo-fight near center ice. Greig, who didn’t have a sparring partner, came over and delivered a sucker punch square to Walker’s chin while he had his head down (video via Sportsnet).
In what was a silent series offensively for the Sens, Greig was one of only seven Ottawa skaters to record a point. His primary assist on Dylan Cozens‘ game-tying goal late in regulation in Game 2 was only the second postseason point of his career. He had a goal in six games against the Maple Leafs last season.
The 23-year-old will be kicking off his fourth full NHL season in the fall, whenever he does end up getting into the lineup. He’s already established himself as one of the Sens’ most physical forwards while posting some remarkably consistent offensive totals. He’s hit exactly 13 goals in each of his three full-time campaigns, with his point totals ranging from 26 to a career-high 35 this season.
Walker didn’t sustain an injury on the play, which certainly contributed to the non-call on the play. Walker took matters into his own hands later in the frame, earning a minor penalty for boarding Greig.
Golden Knights Recall Braeden Bowman, Trevor Connelly
The Golden Knights announced Sunday that they’ve recalled forward prospects Braeden Bowman and Trevor Connelly from AHL Henderson. Both will likely be available for Monday’s Game 4 against the Mammoth if necessary, but they’re likely just getting a few days of playoff practice with the big club before returning to Henderson for its Pacific Division Semifinal series against Colorado, which doesn’t begin until Friday.
Bowman, 22, has quickly become a great story for the Knights. Undrafted, he had to settle for a minor-league deal with Henderson in 2024 when his junior career ended.
The 6’1″, 205-lb right hit the ground running, finishing second on the Silver Knights in scoring last season with 36 points in 68 games en route to quickly earning an entry-level contract. He more than doubled his AHL points per game rate here in 2025-26 and actually spent most of the campaign on the NHL roster in a decently high-leverage role.
Recalled for the first time in November, Bowman spent a good chunk of the year as a top-line injury fill-in for captain Mark Stone. He was reasonably productive, churning out an 8-18–26 scoring line in 54 outings while averaging a shade over 14 minutes per game, seeing some power-play reps in the process. Bowman’s defensive impacts, though, left much to be desired. He finished with a -16 rating, only controlled 49.6% of shot attempts at 5-on-5 despite starting nearly 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone, and barely throws the body given his stocky frame (he had just 19 hits).
All that contributed to Bowman being left on the outside of the playoff lineup, especially after the Knights moved to add Nic Dowd and Cole Smith at the trade deadline. After a four-game pointless stretch in March, Bowman was scratched on several occasions before eventually being returned to Henderson at the beginning of April.
Bowman finished the AHL regular season on an absolute tear with 14 points in eight games. He also had a goal and an assist in two games as Henderson made quick work of San Jose in a three-game first-round series. If he is plugged into the lineup, he’ll be doing so with plenty of offensive confidence.
As for Connelly, Vegas’ 2024 first-round pick has yet to make his NHL debut. Still viewed as their clear-cut #1 prospect, he made an exceptional transition to pro hockey this year after an underwhelming and injury-plagued one-and-done freshman season at Providence College.
Connelly didn’t play a full season this year, either, only suiting up in 46 out of a possible 72 AHL games. He nonetheless was one of four Silver Knights to exceed the point per game mark in an offensively surging season for the oft-struggling affiliate. He ended up with a 14-35–49 scoring line and had five points in their two-game series in over San Jose last week.
If Connelly dresses, he would be the first player in Golden Knights history to make their NHL debut in the postseason.
Ian Mitchell Signs With NL’s SC Bern
Lightning pending unrestricted free agent Ian Mitchell has agreed to terms with SC Bern of Switzerland’s National League on a two-year contract beginning next season, the team announced earlier this week. The move had been in place for months, as we relayed back in February.
Mitchell, 27, did not see NHL ice this season after appearing in five straight campaigns with the Blackhawks and Bruins from 2020-25. Non-tendered by Boston last summer, he landed a one-way league minimum deal from the Red Wings in free agency but cleared waivers to begin training camp. After going all year without a call-up, Detroit dealt him to Tampa Bay in mid-March – after the NHL trade deadline but before the AHL one – so he could serve as added defensive depth for the Bolts’ farm team in Syracuse down the stretch.
Mitchell’s contractual obligations with Tampa are still ongoing. In fact, he suited up for Syracuse just last night – after the announcement that he was headed to Bern – in Game 1 of their North Division Semifinal series against Cleveland. However, since he was acquired after the trade deadline, he’s not eligible for recall to the Lightning as long as they’re still in the postseason.
The 6’0″, right-shot Mitchell is a skilled puck-mover. He’s shown as much in the minors, where he had seven assists in 15 games to close out the regular season with Syracuse. His lack of physical acumen in one-on-one defending and battles, plus underwhelming shot power, has prevented him from locking down any sort of notable NHL role, though.
A second-round pick by the Blackhawks back in 2017, Mitchell won an NCHC championship with the University of Denver before ultimately turning pro three years later. He suited up in 39 of Chicago’s 56 games in the COVID-shortened 2021 season, but that mark still stands as a career high. He’s now passed through waivers unclaimed in each of the last three seasons, so it’s clear interest in his services hasn’t been wide-spanning for quite some time.
Mitchell’s NHL resume stands with a 4-15–19 scoring line, a -17 rating, and an underwhelming 42.6% Corsi share at even strength through 110 appearances. His minor-league body of work is strong – tallying 120 points and a +55 rating in 216 career AHL games – but it hasn’t been enough for him to earn serious bottom-pair consideration.
He’s now officially off to Switzerland, potentially putting a bookend on his NHL career. He could easily step in as Bern’s #1 from the drop on a roster that also boasts former NHLers Emil Bemström and Anton Lindholm.
Jordan Kyrou Undergoes Minor Knee Surgery, Will Be Ready For Camp
Blues star winger Jordan Kyrou underwent a minor knee procedure this week that his not expected to impact his availability for next season’s training camp, the team announced Thursday. General manager Doug Armstrong did not disclose an exact timeline.
Kyrou missed a few weeks with a lower-body injury back in December. It’s unclear if the procedure referenced today is related to that absence, but if it is, it would offer an added explanation for the top scorer’s struggles this season.
Over the past few seasons, Kyrou has been money in the bank for at least 30 goals and 65 points. From the 2021-22 to 2024-25 seasons, he rarely missed extended time and averaged 34 goals and 74 points per 82 games.
All that came crashing down in a disastrous 2025-26 campaign for both him and the club. Kyrou’s 18 goals, 28 assists, and 46 points in 72 games were his worst scoring line in five years.
His ice time was correspondingly limited by head coach Jim Montgomery. He was a healthy scratch for a game early in the season and saw over 15 minutes just three times in the final 12 games of the season. He averaged only 15:44 per game on the year, his lowest deployment since his big breakout in 2021-22.
Kyrou’s name was frequently in trade speculation over the past two offseasons as the Blues looked to leverage him from a position of strength, potentially to improve their blue line. He had a full no-trade clause kick in on July 1 last summer that now makes that a much more complicated proposition. Now locked in at an $8.125MM cap hit through 2030-31, it’s unwise for the Blues to cut bait on Kyrou after a down season anyway.
Snapshots: Kuzmenko, Hintz, Dach, Charron, Hayes
Kings forward Andrei Kuzmenko is set to draw into the postseason lineup for the first time for tonight’s Game 3 of the Avalanche, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports. He took line rushes at morning skate on the left wing on the third line with Scott Laughton and Joel Armia. Rookie Jared Wright had occupied that slot for the first two games of the series but was bumped down to fourth-line duties this morning. Trade deadline pickup Mathieu Joseph was the odd man out and projects to head to the press box after playing in six straight. Kuzmenko hasn’t played since undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus on Feb. 28, but was activated from injured reserve at the beginning of the playoffs. After flourishing with 17 points in 22 games last season following his acquisition from the Flyers at the trade deadline, the Russian offensive weapon posted a more conservative 13-12–25 scoring line in 52 games this season and has been bumped off the top line thanks to Artemi Panarin‘s injection into the roster.
More from around the league Thursday:
- The Stars have now officially ruled center Roope Hintz out for Game 4 against the Wild, head coach Glen Gulutzan said (via Dan Rosen of NHL.com). He had initially left the door open for Hintz to join the team in Minnesota, depending on how he felt earlier in the week, but that won’t happen. Hintz did skate for the first time yesterday since sustaining a lower-body injury back on March 7, so while he’s still considered doubtful for Game 5 and questionable for the rest of the first round, there’s tangible progress toward his return. Dallas has eked out a 2-1 series lead without him, thanks to Wyatt Johnston‘s double-overtime heroics last night and an exceptional performance from their defense and penalty kill in Game 3, holding Minnesota to zero inner-slot shots the entire night despite the Wild having seven power plays.
- The AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins signed a trio of Pittsburgh unsigned draft picks to amateur tryouts ahead of their Atlantic Division Semifinal series kicking off soon, per a team announcement. Most intriguing among them is center Kale Dach, who, despite being drafted last out of the three in last year’s draft (seventh round, 201st overall), had the most impactful post-draft season. Some had viewed Dach as more of a mid-round pick, and they were proven right to some degree by him having a 34-goal, 75-point campaign in 63 games for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen after spending last season with the junior ‘A’ Sherwood Park Crusaders of the BCHL. He’ll be off to Penn State in the fall but maintains his collegiate eligibility by not signing an NHL contract. Also joining the Baby Pens for the postseason are right-winger Jordan Charron, a 2025 fifth-round pick and St. Lawrence commit who scored 25 goals and 47 points in 66 games this season for the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, and Travis Hayes, selected in the fourth round last year. Hayes is the brother of now-teammate Avery Hayes and suited up alongside Charron in Sault Ste. Marie this season, posting a 16-24–40 scoring line in 63 games with a team-high +27 rating.
Kings Reassign Pheonix Copley, Recall Carter George
The Kings loaned goaltender Pheonix Copley to AHL Ontario on Thursday, per a team announcement. In his place, the team summoned goalie prospect Carter George from the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds to serve as their emergency backup goaltender for the balance of the postseason.
Copley heads down to Ontario to serve as their veteran starting option for the Calder Cup Playoffs. Ontario had finished high enough in their division to earn a bye through the first round, but since their Pacific Semifinal series will get underway soon, the Kings have opted to return Copley there to make sure their minor-league club can field the best roster possible, similar to the Lightning’s demotion of Brandon Halverson earlier Thursday.
Copley’s stint as L.A.’s EBUG for Games 1 and 2 against the Avalanche marked his first time on the NHL roster since the calendar flipped to 2026. The 34-year-old vet made one start back in December, allowing three goals on 28 shots for a .893 SV% in a loss to the Kraken. It was his first NHL start since undergoing ACL surgery in December 2023, although he did make one relief appearance for the Kings last season.
A pending unrestricted free agent, it’s unclear if L.A. plans to retain Copley for what would be his fifth season in the organization (aside from a brief stint with the Lightning at the beginning of this year after being lost on waivers). They have George, their #1 prospect, plus serviceable 25-year-old Erik Portillo under contract through next year, leaving their AHL duo likely set in stone.
If Copley still wants a high AHL workload and expanded call-up opportunities, he’ll likely need to look elsewhere on the open market. In 33 regular-season games for Ontario this season, he managed a .901 SV%, 2.59 GAA, a 21-11-1 record, and one shutout.
George, who doesn’t turn 20 until next month, just wrapped up his fourth and final junior season. A midseason pickup from the struggling Owen Sound Attack, George’s .910 SV% in 10 postseason games fueled the Greyhounds to a major upset over the London Knights in the first round, although they were dispatched just as quickly by Kitchener in five games in round two last week.
A second-rounder in 2024, George already has several accolades in his trophy case. He won a bronze medal as Canada’s starter at this year’s World Juniors, and he was one of the best goalies in the tournament last year as well, despite an early upset by the Czechs in the quarterfinals. Goalies rarely, if ever, make the jump straight from juniors to the NHL, so he’s ticketed for time in Ontario next season. Already having signed his entry-level contract, he is prohibited from taking the college route.
Sabres’ Josh Norris Out Day-To-Day, Noah Ostlund Returning
The Sabres won’t have center Joshua Norris available tonight for Game 3 of their first-round series against the Bruins, head coach Lindy Ruff said (via Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550). He’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. It’s not all bad, as they’ll be getting Noah Ostlund back from injury, with this morning’s line rushes indicating he’s slotting directly in for Norris as their third-line center (via Hamilton).
Norris didn’t appear to sustain anything major in Game 2. Ruff was non-specific when speaking on his ailment today, only saying that he’s “not feeling right” (via Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News).
The oft-injured 26-year-old shouldered a full workload through the first two games of the series, which were also the first of his playoff career. He averaged 16:36 per game and recorded six hits, although he was rendered pointless and had a -1 rating.
Still, it’s a notable loss. Buffalo won the possession battle handily with Norris on the ice at 5-on-5, controlling 61.1% of shot attempts. He’s also been above water in the faceoff department, winning 53.1% of his draws for a team that’s struggled heavily there to begin the series.
In the regular season, Norris had 34 points in 44 games. He missed nearly half the season with various upper-body issues that were unrelated to his previous shoulder injuries, but his 0.77 points per game were fourth on the team. Having that kind of production ceiling from a third-line center is a luxury the Sabres have reaped the rewards of this season en route to finishing fifth in the league in goals, although they’re only averaging three per game in their small playoff sample this far.
The Sabres would certainly prefer to reincorporate Ostlund without taking a name of Norris’ caliber out to make room, but they’ll gladly welcome him back nonetheless. The 2022 first-round pick had a solid rookie campaign after an early-season call-up from AHL Rochester, finishing the year with 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games.
It has been nearly a month since Ostlund played, though. He sustained an upper-body injury against Boston back on March 25 and was initially labeled day-to-day, but it stretched into something longer.
A natural center, Buffalo has preferred to deploy Ostlund on the wing for much of the year. Norris’ injury will obviously force him back to the middle, but his struggles on faceoffs – he won just 31.5% of them in the regular season – are certainly cause for concern given the circumstances. There are also some red flags about playing the skilled and smart Ostlund in a high-leverage role in what’s been an incredibly physical series thus far. He’s smallish at 5’11” and 180 lbs and plays like it; he only had five hits total in the regular season. Buffalo has already totaled 83 of them through Games 1 and 2.
USA Hockey Finalizes Coaching Staff For 2026 Worlds
USA Hockey has rounded out its coaching staff for next month’s 2026 World Championship in Switzerland, the organization announced Thursday. Former Sabres bench boss Don Granato was previously announced as the head coach in March as the Americans aim to win back-to-back gold medals at the event for the first time ever.
Joining Granato as assistants will be Canucks assistant Kevin Dean, Predators assistant Darby Hendrickson, Rangers assistant Ty Hennes and University of Michigan head coach Brandon Naurato. Sharks goaltending coach Thomas Speer is joining in the same role, while Predators video coach Lawrence Feloney and Islanders video coordinator Matt DeMado have also been added to the staff.
It’s a very similar group to the contingent that led the Americans to the promised land last season. Dean, Speer, and Feloney are all returnees, as are general manager Brett Peterson and assistant general manager Jeff Kealty.
Dean had no previous national team experience up until last year’s tournament, but they obviously liked what they saw, then under Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky. He’ll be primarily responsible for the defensemen and penalty kill, the same role he holds in Vancouver, although the Canucks had a league-worst 71.5% penalty kill success rate and ranked 29th in the league in shots against per game with 29.8 in Dean’s first season behind the bench there. He had previous stints with the Bruins (2017-22) and Blackhawks (2022-25) as an assistant.
In Nashville, Hendrickson is more of a roving assistant focused on player development. This marks his first national team appearance as a coach, although he scored 14 points in 44 World Championship games for the U.S. as a player in six tournaments (1996-2001) and also suited up for them at the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Hennes returns to the United States bench after first serving as an assistant coach at the 2024 Worlds. The Americans went 5-1-1 in group play that year but were upset by the host Czechia in the quarterfinals. Hennes is coming off his first season with the Rangers, following Mike Sullivan to New York last summer after spending the previous three seasons under him as an assistant with the Penguins.
Naurato, one of the brighter coaching prospects in the sport, is 41 years old and just wrapped up his fourth season heading up the Wolverines’ bench. A former player development consultant with the Red Wings from 2018-21, he spent only one season at Michigan as an assistant before earning the promotion. During that time, he’s won a pair of Big 10 championships and got Michigan to its fourth Frozen Four in the last five years, although they’ve been bounced in the national semifinal each time.
Senators’ Tyler Kleven Returning For Game 3
Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven will make his 2026 playoff debut in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Hurricanes tonight, he told reporters at Thursday’s morning skate (including Joshua Clipperton of The Canadian Press).
Kleven has been out of commission since April 2 with an upper-body injury sustained while blocking a shot in a game against the Sabres. At a time when the Sens were already down Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot, it was a crushing injury that removed all three of their left-side regulars from the lineup. Sanderson ultimately returned for their next game, and Chabot followed suit soon after, but Kleven’s injury – plus Nick Jensen‘s continued absence due to meniscus surgery and Artem Zub‘s departure in Game 1 with a lower-body injury – has still put a strain on Ottawa’s defense to begin the postseason.
Now, Ottawa will be down “just” Jensen and Zub as they try to climb out of a 2-0 hole at home. After dressing Dennis Gilbert and Lassi Thomson as their third pair for Game 2, both of them will come out while Cameron Crotty steps in on Kleven’s right side to make his first-ever playoff appearance, head coach Travis Green said (via Claire Hanna of TSN).
Kleven, coming off his second full regular season, was quite reliable as the #3 lefty on the Sens’ depth chart this season. Selected 44th overall in 2020, Kleven set career highs in assists (15), points (18), hits (126), and average time on ice (17:21) while suiting up in 70 contests. He emerged with a +2 rating and had spectacular results when paired with Jordan Spence, controlling 60.4% of expected goals in 657 minutes together at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck.
Jensen’s and Zub’s injuries mean Spence has been elevated to top-four duties, so Kleven won’t have that kind of support on his right flank tonight. Nonetheless, he’s a significant plug-and-play upgrade over Gilbert, who actually had a solid go of things in his limited minutes in Games 1 and 2. Kleven’s higher ceiling – plus his strong performance in their first-round loss to the Maple Leafs last season – makes him an appealing option to get back in the lineup while likely seeing some penalty-kill time as well.