Avalanche Recall Ivan Ivan
The Avalanche have recalled forward Ivan Ivan from AHL Colorado, per the NHL’s media portal. With Ross Colton, Gabriel Landeskog, and Artturi Lehkonen still sidelined, the Avs will dress 12 forwards and six defensemen tonight against the Stars after going 11 and seven in the last three games without Colton.
Technically, it’s Ivan’s sixth recall of the season. The last five came in an 11-day span in January, while Ivan was recalled only on game days and sent down in between. While that used to be a common practice, it’s no longer permitted if the player isn’t logging at least one AHL appearance between each recall. That meant Ivan was playing quite a lot of hockey that month as the Avs’ and Eagles’ game and travel schedules lined up favorably.
The Avs have opted to use a bare-minimum roster all season long. They’ve gone 11-and-seven on multiple occasions because of it, but when they’ve opted to have a 12th forward when stressed by injuries, Ivan has been part of a loose rotation between himself, Jason Polin, Tristen Nielsen, and a few others. The 23-year-old has suited up seven times between call-ups this year, registering one assist, a +2 rating, four shots, and two hits while averaging just 7:45 of ice time per game. He’s played much more infrequently after injuries above him got him into 40 NHL games as a rookie last year, in which he put up a 5-3–8 scoring line with a -9 rating.
It hasn’t been a great year in the minors for Ivan, either. He’s been limited to seven goals and 19 points in 55 AHL games. Considering he had 31 points in 67 games as a first-year pro on an AHL deal with Colorado two seasons ago, that’s a considerable step back. With his entry-level contract expiring, that offensive regression has him at risk of being non-tendered, especially as he’ll be eligible for arbitration and Colorado might want to avoid that award.
Maple Leafs Sign Brandon Buhr To Entry-Level Deal
The Maple Leafs have signed college free agent forward Brandon Buhr to a one-year, entry-level deal for next season, per a team announcement. He will finish out the current year with AHL Toronto on a tryout agreement.
Buhr, 23, just wrapped up his senior season at Union College, where he spent the final three seasons of his NCAA tenure. He transferred there in 2023 after playing 10 games with Clarkson as a freshman. While he was sparsely used as a first-year player, he emerged as a high-end threat for virtually his entire time at Union. He finishes his run at the school with a 49-39–88 scoring line in 106 games.
The 6’2″, 205-lb righty continually upped his production year over year, culminating with a 19-goal, 36-point effort in only 35 outings for the Garnet Chargers. A sniper with pro-ready size, he’s the second UDFA Toronto has plucked out of college in as many days, but is perhaps the polar opposite threat physically compared to the undersized but skilled defender Vincent Borgesi.
Because of his age, Buhr will get just one year with the Leafs before he becomes a restricted free agent, giving Toronto an out if they choose to non-tender him at that time. If they choose to keep him around, by virtue of his challenging for an NHL job or proving valuable in a minor-league support role, they now control his rights until 2030.
Jets Assign Alfons Freij To AHL
The Jets announced that they’ve recalled defense prospect Alfons Freij from his loan to Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League and have sent him to AHL Manitoba to finish the season. Timrå’s campaign ended with the conclusion of the SHL’s regular season last weekend, finishing 12th out of 14 teams – not enough for a postseason play-in opportunity but not low enough to face relegation.
Freij, 20, was an early second-rounder in 2024, going 37th overall. He spent the entire season in Swedish juniors with the Växjö Lakers’ under-20 club. For his post-draft season, Växjö chose not to keep him on their main roster and instead loaned him to second-tier pro club IF Björkloven. He thus didn’t make his top-level pro debut until he signed a two-year contract with Timrå last summer.
He signed his entry-level deal with Winnipeg a couple of months into the offseason after inking with Timrå, but since he wasn’t a first-round pick, the NHL’s transfer agreement with the SHL required that he be offered back to his Swedish team before being sent to the AHL. All parties involved were happy to offer Freij another year of development in Europe to get accustomed to top-level play as a pro.
The 6’1″, 198-lb lefty was viewed as one of the best skaters among defenders in the 2024 class. He finished this year with six goals, 11 points, and a -6 rating in 42 games with Timrå. That may not jump off the page, but point totals rarely do among young defenders in that league. He was excellent for the Swedes in their march to gold at this year’s World Juniors, posting seven assists and a +6 rating in seven games.
Freij checked in as the #7 prospect in Winnipeg’s system last summer, according to Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis. When the yearly reports come out this year, there will likely be some upward movement, since several names ahead of him have taken steps backward in the AHL this season. The fact that Manitoba hasn’t proven to be an effective development environment recently could be a concern for Freij’s path, but considering he’s already established himself as a professional overseas, he arrives as more of a finished product than other higher-drafted Jets prospects who turned pro straight out of junior hockey.
Predators Sign Zachary L’Heureux To Two-Year Extension
The Predators announced that they’ve signed left-winger Zachary L’Heureux to a two-year extension carrying a cap hit of $875K. The lefty, who lands just a slight pay bump over his expiring entry-level contract, would not have been eligible for arbitration as a restricted free agent this offseason. It’ll split as $850K in 2026-27 and $900K in 2027-28, all in base salary and all in one-way structure, via Renaud Lavoie of TVA.
L’Heureux, 22, has had an up-and-down development path. The 21st overall pick in 2021, he had a strong rookie showing in the minors when he turned pro two years later and turned that into a roster spot in Nashville for the majority of the 2024-25 campaign. Drafted as a top-nine skill piece with a laundry list of on-ice disciplinary issues in junior hockey, the hope was that he could rein that in to become an effective agitator without hurting his team with penalties more than he helped.
In 62 games last season, L’Heureux managed a 5-10–15 scoring line. Naturally, his 63 penalty minutes were up there, and he earned a midseason three-game suspension after multiple lengthier bans while starring for Halifax in the QMJHL. He also led Nashville forwards with 198 hits. His defensive impacts were a mixed bag. According to Natural Stat Trick, he ranked ninth out of 14 Nashville forwards last season (min. 200 minutes at 5-on-5) with a 49.7% Corsi share, but his 52.1% expected goals share was a strong sixth.
This year, the injection of 2023 first-rounder Matthew Wood into an NHL role, plus other young names like Joakim Kemell and Reid Schaefer earning long looks, has limited his playing time. L’Heureux remains waiver-exempt until next season, and Nashville has taken advantage of that to stash him in AHL Milwaukee for a good chunk of the year. It’s not usually a great sign developmentally to drop back into a minor-league role after challenging for a full-time job as a rookie, but he’s been exceptional in the AHL with 14 goals and 28 points in only 28 games.
He’s also been added back to the NHL roster down the stretch after the Preds sent out Michael McCarron and Cole Smith at the deadline. Through 10 games, he’s averaging 11:51 per contest and has one goal with a +3 rating and 19 hits.
L’Heureux won’t be heading back to the minors next season. It would be shocking to see the still-retooling Preds opt to expose a recent first-round pick to the waiver wire. He would almost certainly be claimed given his AHL production. The question now becomes whether Nashville will opt to deploy him in an everyday role from the jump next season, or if he’ll be used more as a traditional 13th forward-type enforcer. He remains under team control until 2030.
Ducks’ Ross Johnston Out Three To Four Weeks
The Ducks will be without enforcer Ross Johnston for the next three to four weeks with a lower-body injury, head coach Joel Quenneville announced (via Derek Lee of The Hockey News).
After spending a good chunk of last year in the press box, Johnston has been Anaheim’s primary option in the fourth-line left wing slot, playing in 62 of 67 games. Only one of those absences was due to an illness, although he did sit out of the Ducks’ last three games as a healthy scratch before landing an injury designation. While he’s now been passed on the depth chart by midseason pickup Jeffrey Viel, Johnston has still managed an impressive season in his own right.
Entering the year, the 32-year-old had only topped the 40-game mark twice in nine NHL seasons. Now at his second time over 60 in the last three years, he’s also doubled his previous career-high in points with a 3-11–14 scoring line. The 6’5″, 232-lb lefty has fully retained his mean streak while getting involved in the play a bit more, leading the team with 107 penalty minutes and 192 hits. Averaging 9:45 of ice time per game, his 19.06 hits per 60 rank 16th in the league (min. 20 games).
Anaheim’s final regular-season game is on April 16, one day after the four-week mark handed down today. There’s a chance he’s done for the regular season as a result, but he could also be back as early as April 8 with four games left on the Ducks’ schedule. In any event, with his Ducks the favorite to take home the Pacific Division in what’s been a slog to the finish line for everyone involved, he should be an option to suit up in the first round for the second postseason appearance of his career. In parts of seven seasons with the Islanders before being claimed off waivers by Anaheim in 2023, he only suited up once for them in the playoffs, appearing in five games in the 2020 bubble.
Kraken Recall Jani Nyman On Emergency Basis
The Kraken announced that they’ve recalled winger Jani Nyman from AHL Coachella Valley under emergency conditions. Seattle hadn’t yet burned through any of its five post-deadline standard recalls anyway. They have 14 forwards on the active roster but are dealing with injuries to Jaden Schwartz (face, indefinite) and Eeli Tolvanen (upper body, day-to-day), leaving them without any healthy extras. Evidently, the Kraken believe somebody else may be questionable for tomorrow’s contest against the Predators, making Nyman eligible for an emergency recall.
Nyman, 21, started the season on the NHL roster but was assigned to Coachella Valley before the Christmas break. The 2022 second-round pick has remained there since. He’s still in the second year of his three-year entry-level deal and has another two seasons left before he requires waivers, so there’s no reason to rush his development.
The 6’2″, 212-lb Finn is in the minors to prove he’s more than a one-trick pony aside from his elite shooting ability. He doesn’t play a physical style for his size but has scored at a torrid pace in the AHL since arriving in North America in 2024, including 18 goals in 29 games this season since his demotion. He’s now up to a 48-25–73 scoring line in 92 AHL games.
Nyman’s results have been tempered in an NHL role. He’s slotted into the lineup 36 times over the past two seasons, scoring seven goals and 12 points. That’s fine production considering he’s averaging 11:48 of ice time per game, but his defensive impacts have been disastrous. Seattle has only controlled 46.1% of shot attempts with Nyman on the ice at 5-on-5 despite him starting over 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone, indicative of how the Kraken might plan to use him long-term as a bottom-six supplemental piece and a power-play specialist.
He could get another brief chance here to make an impact in the Kraken’s lineup as they chase down the second playoff berth in franchise history. Seattle sits tied with the Kings for the second wild-card spot in the West at 71 points, sitting just inside the playoff picture as they hold the regulation wins tiebreaker over Los Angeles. With the Sharks, Predators, and Jets all within striking distance, though, their postseason odds only sit at 36.4%, according to MoneyPuck. That’s the second-best odds out of the group after the Kings’ 50%.
Stars Sign Jack Anderson To Entry-Level Deal
The Stars have signed college free agent defenseman Jack Anderson to a two-year, entry-level deal, per a team announcement. He’ll report to AHL Texas on a tryout to finish the season before his NHL contract goes into effect for 2026-27, Stephen Meserve of 100 Degree Hockey writes.
The 23-year-old Anderson spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Lindenwood but transferred to Michigan Tech for his senior season. The shift from independent play to the CCHA unlocked the towering 6’6″, 225-lb lefty, as he posted career-highs across the board. Anderson was the Huskies’ clear-cut #1, finishing fifth on the team with an 11-13–24 scoring line in 39 games while adding 33 penalty minutes and a +13 rating.
Anderson had never topped two goals or 10 points in a season with Lindenwood before transferring, so it was a rather significant breakout for the St. Louis native. He’ll now find his professional footing in Texas, where the Stars only have four defensemen signed through next season who are ticketed for minor-league roles. He immediately becomes the largest and heaviest player on the AHL roster for a team that’s shown a propensity for adding size on the blue line in recent years, drafting 6’7″ Lian Bichsel in the first round in 2022 and acquiring 6’8″ Tyler Myers at this year’s trade deadline.
Dallas will see Anderson reach restricted free agency for the first time in 2028. They’ll have him under team control until 2030.
Penguins Expected To Activate Sidney Crosby From IR
Penguins star Sidney Crosby was a full participant in this morning’s skate and is expected to come off injured reserve for tonight’s game against the Hurricanes, per Josh Getzoff of SportsNet Pittsburgh. Crosby had been out since the Olympic break with a Grade 2 MCL sprain he sustained in Team Canada’s quarterfinal win over the Czechs. The Penguins said Crosby would miss at least four weeks when they placed him on IR on Feb. 25, putting his return well ahead of schedule.
The 38-year-old pushing the envelope to get back in the lineup is no surprise. He pushed as hard as he could to get back into Canada’s lineup for the gold medal game, but ultimately couldn’t go, as they ended up with silver in an overtime loss to the United States. He’ll now return to help the Penguins battle through a tough playoff race in the Eastern Conference after sitting out what surely felt like an excruciating 11 games.
Pittsburgh is 5-3-3 without its captain and franchise icon. That’s been enough to keep pace and is about as good as can be expected, considering they were also missing Evgeni Malkin for a five-game stretch due to a slashing suspension. They’ve scored 3.45 goals per game during that time while allowing 3.18 goals per game. Their possession metrics have lagged, controlling 48.5% of 5-on-5 shot attempts. They’re also winning a league-worst 41.0% of faceoffs since the break.
Crosby will help immensely in all of those areas. Aside from his usual stature as the club’s leading point-getter, he’s won a team-high 55.4% of his draws this season, which should get the Pens much closer to league average in that department. Surprisingly, Crosby’s defensive results this season aren’t great – he’s only a +1 on a team with a +35 goal differential, and his possession numbers are dead average – but his return importantly allows Rickard Rakell to shift back to his preferred position on the wing after stepping in for Crosby as the Pens’ top-line center over the last few weeks.
With no roster limit and plenty of cap space, Pittsburgh won’t need to make a corresponding move to activate Crosby. They could still opt to reassign prospects Avery Hayes or Ville Koivunen back to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton if their NHL playing time is going to be limited following Crosby’s return. Hayes was already a healthy scratch when Malkin was reinstated for Monday’s dominant road win over the Avalanche, so that could be an indication he’ll be on his way back down after being ferried to the minors on deadline day to make him AHL-eligible for the rest of the season.
Crosby, who’s got another year left at his $8.7MM cap hit, now hopes to anchor the Pens’ skaters to a playoff appearance after a three-year absence from postseason play, the only time in Crosby’s career he’s missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons and the first time at all since his rookie year. They’re in a good spot, holding serve for second in the Metropolitan Division. They’re tied with the Islanders at 83 points but have done so in one fewer game, giving them a higher points percentage. Per MoneyPuck, they have an 81.8% chance of making the playoffs.
Maple Leafs Sign Vincent Borgesi To Entry-Level Deal
The Maple Leafs usually dip their toes into the college free agent market. That isn’t changing this year. The club announced they’ve signed Northeastern captain Vincent Borgesi to a two-year entry-level contract beginning next season. He will report to AHL Toronto for the remainder of this season, making his pro debut in the process.
The contract carries a cap hit of $987.5K, according to PuckPedia. Borgesi will earn an $877.5K salary if he’s in the NHL next season, along with a $97.5K signing bonus. Those numbers jump to $900K and $100K, respectively, for 2027-28. He will take home a minor-league salary of $85K each season.
Borgesi, 22, was an absolutely torrid puck-moving defenseman at lower levels of the game. He once had 100 points in just 61 games at the under-15 level, and 38 points and a +33 rating in 57 games for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm back in his draft year, 2021-22. As a result, he’s always had some interest from NHL clubs, but everyone has been scared off by his size. He checks in at just 5’8″ and 174 lbs.
Over four years in college, Borgesi didn’t earn overwhelming national recognition but was still a consistent piece on the back end for the Huskies. His collegiate career came to an end last weekend against UMass in the Hockey East tournament, drawing to a close a 16-64–80 scoring line in 134 career outings with a +15 rating. Borgesi also served as the captain of the U.S. Collegiate Selects team that reached the Spengler Cup Final against top-level European pros this season, ultimately losing to hosts HC Davos.
Borgesi will now look to overcome his stature and make an impact at the pro level for Toronto. The organization is light on offensive help from the blue line from head to toe. The aging Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Morgan Rielly are the only names at the NHL level who have made a big impact from the point this season, and they don’t have a defender who’s topped 25 points in the minors this year.
Flyers Sign Cole Knuble To Entry-Level Deal
The Flyers signed forward prospect Cole Knuble to his entry-level contract today, the team announced. It’s a two-year pact starting next season, but he’ll make his pro debut in the coming days with AHL Lehigh Valley on a minor-league deal for the last few weeks of 2025-26.
Knuble was a fourth-round pick back in 2023. The Michigan native and son of former Flyer Mike Knuble is an undersized but stocky 5’10” center and put up 30 goals and 66 points in 57 games in his draft year with the USHL’s Fargo Force. A Notre Dame commit, he joined the Fighting Irish in the season following his selection. He’s remained there since, wrapping up his junior season with a loss to Michigan in the Big 10 playoffs last week.
While Knuble’s offensive game shifted more from goal-scoring to playmaking in college, he was still a reasonably productive threat. He hit at least 20 points in all three seasons, including a career-best 39-point effort in 34 games as a sophomore to lead the team. His production took a step back this season, though, in what was the program’s worst showing in 21 years. As Notre Dame only mustered a 9-21-2 record, Knuble churned out a 9-22–31 scoring line in 36 games with a -19 rating.
He will now look to shake off the bad taste in his mouth and bring his skilled, high-energy checking game to the Flyers. His offensive step back this year will likely make it hard for him to win a roster spot in training camp in the fall, but the Flyers have shown a willingness to reward their young players for strong training camp and AHL showings sooner than anyone expected (Denver Barkey and Jett Luchanko being some recent examples).
The Flyers have one of the better prospect pools in the league. Knuble wasn’t viewed as a top-10 name in the pool, even entering the season on the heels of his sophomore breakout, but he has real upside. Philly won’t be keen on using a player with his height primarily as a bottom-six checking piece down the middle long-term, though, so he’ll need to hit the ground running on the scoresheet, too, to give himself a shot.