Canadiens Recall Oliver Kapanen
The Canadiens have recalled forward Oliver Kapanen from his loan to Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League, the team announced. He’ll join the NHL roster and could be on hand for tomorrow’s game against the Bruins. Their active roster will stand at 23 players with the move.
Kapanen, 21, has had an unusual season. The 2021 second-round pick had an exceptional training camp and cracked Montreal’s opening night roster – much to the surprise of Timrå, who planned on him being a core piece of their group this year when they signed him to a two-year contract last summer. Kapanen’s run in the NHL ended in early November, though, and since he’s spent fewer than 60 days on the NHL roster and wasn’t a first-round pick, he had to be offered back to Timrå instead of being sent to AHL Laval. Understandably, Timrå took the opportunity to bring him back into the fold.
Timrå dropped their playoff quarterfinal series to Frölunda HC last weekend, so Kapanen’s season overseas is over – making him free to rejoin the Habs. The 6’0″ center appeared in 12 of Montreal’s first 13 games before being returned to Sweden, recording a pair of assists and a minus-four rating. He managed 13 shots on goal and won 46% of his faceoffs while averaging 11:38 per game. He didn’t factor into Montreal’s penalty kill but did receive some power-play deployment, recording one of his helpers with the man advantage. At even strength, Kapanen only controlled 41.7% of shot attempts and 39.0% of expected goals, letting the Habs know there’s room for improvement in his possession game.
In Sweden, the nephew of ex-NHLer Sami Kapanen and the cousin of the Oilers’ Kasperi Kapanen had a monster year as expected. He was a core piece of Timrå’s fourth-ranked offense out of 14 SHL teams, placing fourth on the club with 15-20–35 in 36 games. He added two goals and an assist in their six-game loss to Frölunda.
Kapanen is one of the better forwards in a loaded Canadiens prospect pool, ranking No. 9 in the system per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. A projectable third-line center with a responsible defensive game, he faces internal competition for the role from 2022 second-rounder Owen Beck (No. 7). They have comparable two-way ceilings. However, when all is said and done, the latter will likely have more upward mobility in an NHL lineup. Beck, who’s back in Laval after an NHL call-up earlier this year, has one assist and a minus-three rating through his first 13 NHL games.
It’ll be the former getting the chance to slot into the lineup for Montreal down their most crucial stretch run in four years. Following last night’s huge overtime win over the Panthers, they sit two points ahead of the Blue Jackets for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 35-30-9 record, but Columbus has a game in hand. Still, the Habs’ playoff chances are over 50%, per MoneyPuck. While he may not slot in down the middle with Nick Suzuki, Alex Newhook, Christian Dvorak, and Jake Evans set as their center corps, he could get a chance on the wing over fourth-line enforcer Michael Pezzetta.
Sabres Reassign Isak Rosen
April 2: Rosen was loaned back to Rochester today, the Sabres announced. He appeared in Buffalo’s first three games following last week’s recall but was scratched for their wins in Washington and Ottawa on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively. He managed to get on the scoresheet for the first time in his NHL career, recording an assist in last Thursday’s 7-3 drubbing of the Penguins.
March 25: The Sabres announced they’ve recalled right-winger Isak Rosen from AHL Rochester today. Rosen will replace Brett Murray, who the team announced was returned to the AHL ahead of tonight’s game against the Senators.
It’s been less than three weeks since Rosen’s last NHL game, as the Sabres continue to give the winger only limited looks in their lineup. The 2021 No. 14 overall pick is still looking for his first NHL point, failing to get on the scoresheet in 10 career appearances, including three this year. His possession numbers have provided little reason for optimism, as Rosen only controlled 41.9% of shot attempts at even strength in his limited minutes.
In the AHL, though, he’s hit his stride. Rosen has scored 27-27–54 with a +11 rating in 55 games with the Americans, leading the team in scoring and clicking at nearly a point per game. His offensive totals have steadily improved throughout the 22-year-old’s three seasons in Rochester, from 0.56 points per game in 2022-23 to 0.75 in 2023-24 and now 0.98 this year.
Playoffs are all but officially out of reach for the 28-35-6 Sabres, so with a race to finish outside of last place in the Eastern now their only objective, Buffalo will use the stretch run to continue evaluating its young talent amid a rash of injuries to their forward group. There were many updates on that front f today. While Joshua Norris will miss today’s clash against his former team with what’s now being labeled a mid-body injury, he told Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 that he’s day-to-day and plans to return before the end of the regular season. Meanwhile, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News confirms that Jordan Greenway (lower body) and Sam Lafferty (groin) remain day-to-day and won’t play against Ottawa. Rookie center Jiri Kulich, though, skated this morning and could return after missing four games while in concussion protocol.
Rosen will likely get a look on the third line alongside Kulich and veteran winger Jason Zucker if the team’s line rushes this morning are accurate. They only have 12 healthy forwards, including Kulich, so they’ll need to dress seven defensemen if he can’t go.
The 26-year-old Murray heads back to Rochester after receiving a brief look in fourth-line minutes over the last week. The 6’5″ left-winger went without a point in three games but secured his fourth NHL season of playing time. The 2016 fourth-rounder now has 26 career games with Buffalo and 96-101–197 in 314 career games with Rochester, where he serves as an alternate captain.
Devils Recall Seamus Casey
The Devils announced they’ve called up top defense prospect Seamus Casey from AHL Utica. No corresponding move was made, nor was one necessary. There aren’t any new injury designations on New Jersey’s blue line, so it’s likely a performance-driven recall.
Casey, 21, was a second-round pick by the Devils in 2022. He signed his entry-level contract last May following two seasons at the University of Michigan and, after a strong training camp last fall, found himself on New Jersey’s opening night roster while Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce were sidelined with season-opening injuries. He only lasted a couple of weeks, returning to the AHL in late October, and has remained with Utica since, aside from a second recall that stretched from Feb. 18 to March 7.
Now in his first professional season, Casey ranks as the No. 3 prospect in the Devils system, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. Wheeler also ranks him as the No. 57 prospect in the league, 21st among defensemen and 13th among righties. McKeen’s Hockey ranked him No. 2 in their preseason rankings but didn’t deem Simon Nemec eligible as a prospect, while Wheeler did. Almost universally, Casey ranks behind Nemec and 2024 No. 10 overall pick Anton Silayev among New Jersey defenders who have yet to establish themselves as NHL regulars.
Casey has posted intriguing results in his limited NHL minutes this season. He’s scored four goals and added an assist in 10 games despite averaging under 12 minutes per game, adding a plus-five rating to boot. Head coach Sheldon Keefe‘s distrust in him, shown in his earlier recalls, almost certainly stems from his poor possession impacts. Despite receiving 68.3% of his even-strength zone starts in offensive deployment, Casey has only controlled 41.6% of shot attempts.
In the minors, Casey has fared well this season but not quite as well as Nemec. He ranks third among Utica defensemen in scoring with 3-15–18 in 30 games, trailing Nemec (5-18–23 in 34 GP) and Topias Vilén (1-18–19 in 40 GP).
With only six regular-season games left on the Devils’ schedule and third place in the Metropolitan Division a virtual guarantee, it makes sense for them to give one of their top prospects one last NHL audition down the stretch. It’s hard to envision him being in the playoff lineup, especially with news earlier today that fellow righty Dougie Hamilton could be an option to return before or during the first round, but he could theoretically establish himself as a better option for a bottom-pairing puck-mover over Nemec, who holds the role for the time being.
Devils’ Dougie Hamilton Recovering Faster Than Expected
Dougie Hamilton could return to the Devils lineup sooner than previously thought. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports today there’s an outside chance of their top defenseman returning during the regular season, with a return during the first round of the playoffs looking more likely. Hamilton started skating last week after general manager Tom Fitzgerald said they weren’t expecting him back until a possible second-round series.
The 2021 All-Star has been out since sustaining a lower-body injury on March 4. New Jersey has gone 7-5-1 in 13 games without him, enough to tighten their grip on third place in the Metropolitan Division despite also missing top-four defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler and star center Jack Hughes, the latter of whom won’t be returning this year no matter how deep of a playoff run the Devils can make. He underwent surgery on his right shoulder on March 5 and is done for the year.
This is the second year in a row that Hamilton, in year four of a seven-year deal carrying a $9MM AAV, has missed significant time. Luckily for the Devils and Hamilton, the two ailments are unrelated. A torn pectoral muscle ended his 2023-24 season in November.
Aside from his injury troubles, it hasn’t been a notable season for Hamilton. After New Jersey added Brenden Dillon and Brett Pesce in free agency last summer and traded for Johnathan Kovacevic, they’ve opted to spread out their rearguards’ usage and no longer have a clear No. 1. Hamilton’s average time on ice has dropped below 20 minutes per game for the first time since 2018-19 as a result, and his production has suffered in kind. 9-31–40 through 63 games is still a strong scoring line, on pace for 52 points and the fifth-highest points-per-game rate of his career, but it’s still disappointing after he put up 90 points in 102 games across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
The buck continues to fall on 21-year-old Luke Hughes to be Jersey’s top offensive producer from the blue line in the interim. He’s holding up his end of the bargain, on pace to slightly better last year’s totals that earned him third place in Calder Trophy voting. He’s also clicking at over a point per game (2-11–13 in 12 GP) since Hamilton went down. Nonetheless, having both of their standard power-play weapons back on the blue line in a nearly locked-in first-round matchup against the Hurricanes will be key.
Bruins Sign Dans Locmelis To Entry-Level Contract
The Bruins announced they’ve signed forward prospect Dans Locmelis to his entry-level deal. PuckPedia reports the three-year agreement, which starts next season, will pay him a $775K NHL salary, an $85K signing bonus, and an $82.5K minors salary each year for a cap hit of $860K.
Locmelis, 21, turns pro after Boston selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. The 6’1″ center has spent the last two seasons in the area at UMass, where he totaled 15-32–47 in 70 games with a +23 rating. Twenty-five of those assists and 33 of those points came this season, ranking second on the team in the former category.
The Latvia native has had success for his country on the international stage, captaining their 2024 World Juniors team and posting five points in five games. He’s also suited up with the senior national team at the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, combining for 2-1–3 in 14 games and helped the country win its first bronze medal in Worlds history two years ago.
That résumé suggests more upside than what some public scouts have said to expect out of him. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic had Locmelis outside of his top 15 prospects in Boston’s nearly league-worst pool in January, although he did check in at No. 13 in the system in McKeen’s Hockey’s preseason rankings. His offensive breakout at UMass this year was a necessary step toward keeping his development on track toward having NHL upside, something Boston’s decided to reward with a contract and presumably a full-time role with AHL Providence next year. He’ll finish this year with Providence on a tryout.
Locmelis will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2028. The B’s now have 23 contracts signed for next season.
Blackhawks Sign Taige Harding To Entry-Level Deal
The Blackhawks announced they’ve agreed to terms with defenseman Taige Harding on a two-year entry-level contract for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. His contract carries a cap hit of $880K and breaks down as follows, per PuckPedia:
2025-26: $775K NHL salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $57.5K games played bonus, $80K minors salary
2026-27: $800K NHL salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $32.5K games played bonus, $80K minors salary
While Harding won’t be eligible to make his NHL debut until the fall, he’ll get his first taste of professional hockey down the stretch on a tryout with AHL Rockford, the team confirmed. The Scotland native and Canadian national lands a deal after four seasons with Providence College, which also saw 2024 first-round pick Trevor Connelly sign his entry-level contract with the Golden Knights today.
Harding was a third-round pick by Chicago in 2021 from the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The monster 6’6″, 235-lb lefty jumped to the Friars midway through the following season. While his ability to box out opponents, given his size, is the foremost aspect of his upside, he’s a good outlet passer and has had his point totals reflect that in college. He totaled a respectable 8-32–40 scoring line through 123 games at Providence, boasting a +20 rating. This year, Harding recorded a career-high 46 PIMs and posted 2-12–14 in 37 games with a plus-nine mark.
The 23-year-old isn’t among the top 15 prospects in an exceedingly deep Blackhawks prospect pool, and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic wrote in February that he most likely tops out as AHL depth. Nonetheless, he’s got the tools to peak as a bottom-pairing presence for Chicago someday after a quietly stable run of play in college. He’ll be an RFA in 2027; he also becomes the 31st player under contract for the Hawks next year.
Senators Holding Out Brady Tkachuk With Upper-Body Injury
The Senators are scratching captain Brady Tkachuk tonight against the Sabres due to an upper-body injury, per Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. He’s been dealing with a nagging lower-body issue since the 4 Nations Face-Off that’s threatened his availability but sustained a new injury when he was hit away from the play by Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves late in the second period of Sunday’s game, head coach Travis Green confirmed to Claire Hanna of TSN. Winger Angus Crookshank has been brought back up from AHL Belleville under emergency conditions and will replace Tkachuk in the lineup, the team announced.
Tkachuk did return to the game after the collision with Graves, who was assessed an interference penalty on the play. His ice time remained somewhat conservative, though, skating 15:41 in an overtime loss. While Tkachuk’s averaged north of 18 minutes per game on the season, he’s hit that mark just once in his last 11 games.
There’s no timeline for his return, and there will be understandable anxiety in Ottawa until the team gives their next update on Tkachuk’s status. The team’s leader in goals (29 in 71 GP) is a must-have in the lineup ahead of the Senators’ overwhelming likely return to the postseason before even considering his off-ice importance and intangibles as one of the league’s most antagonizing power forwards. Since he was able to return to the Pittsburgh contest over the weekend, there’s likely hope for a day-to-day timeline compared to anything threatening his playoff availability with just two weeks left on the regular season schedule.
The absence should provide a brief reset for Tkachuk, who’d gone without a point in his last three games but has 8-3–11 in 15 appearances since returning from the 4 Nations break. He only has 55 points (29 G, 26 A) in 71 games overall on the season, though, his worst points-per-game rate since the abbreviated 2021 season. Historically a mediocre finisher, he’s shooting right around his career average of 9.7%. He continues to generate loads of shot attempts, leading the team with 500 with a 96-attempt lead over second-place Thomas Chabot.
Crookshank will slot in for his second appearance of the season and first since Feb. 26. The 25-year-old winger was on hand for the loss to the Pens but was scratched and returned to the B-Sens yesterday before being summoned again today. He has 2-1–3 in 14 career NHL games, all with Ottawa over the last two seasons. The 2018 fifth-rounder also has 22-18–40 in 60 AHL games this season, down from last year’s pace but still leading the team in goals.
Golden Knights Sign Trevor Connelly To Entry-Level Contract
The Golden Knights announced they’ve signed top prospect Trevor Connelly to a three-year, entry-level contract. While Vegas didn’t announce it as such, PuckPedia confirms his deal doesn’t begin until the 2025-26 season, so he won’t be making his NHL debut down the stretch. The deal carries a cap hit of $975K and will pay him an annual salary of $877.5K if he’s in the NHL, along with a $97.5K signing bonus each season. He’s eligible for up to $750K in Schedule ‘A’ performance bonuses in 2027-28, the final year of the contract.
Connelly, 19, was selected with the 19th overall pick in last year’s draft from the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League. During his two years in the league, Connelly was among the best left-wingers in junior hockey, earning All-Rookie honors in 2022-23 and a Second All-Star Team nod in 2023-24. The 6’1″, 165-lb lefty led the USHL with 1.50 points per game last season (31-47–78 in 52 games).
Connelly committed to Providence College in 2023 and jumped to NCAA play after being drafted by Vegas. He dealt with a few injuries during his lone collegiate season, capping his availability for the Friars at 23 games. He was promising but far from dominant when he was in the lineup. He put up a scoring line of 4-9–13 with a -13 rating as Denver eliminated Providence in the regional semifinals of the national tournament last week. He was able to suit up for the United States at the midseason World Junior Championship, scoring 1-3–4 in seven games en route to a gold medal.
He’s still the clear-cut top prospect in a weak Vegas pool, especially after they traded 2020 first-rounder Brendan Brisson to the Rangers in the Reilly Smith deal last month. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked him as the No. 37 prospect in the league in his midseason rankings, fifth-highest among left-wingers.
A playmaker first and foremost, Connelly has top-six potential and will likely factor in on a team’s top power-play unit someday. Whether that’s in Vegas remains to be seen. The franchise has traded all of its first-round picks since its inception in 2017, aside from Connelly. He’ll need to add some muscle before getting an NHL look, but he could get a trial with AHL Henderson to finish the season before reporting to Vegas’ training camp in the fall.
Capitals Re-Sign Spencer Smallman To Two-Year Deal
The Capitals announced they’re keeping depth winger Spencer Smallman around for the next two seasons on a two-way deal. The contract will pay him an NHL salary of $775K and an AHL salary of $380K each season, signifying a slight raise over his current $350K minors salary.
Smallman, 28, has never played an NHL game, yet this will mark his sixth NHL contract. A fifth-round pick by the Hurricanes back in 2015, he signed his entry-level contract with Carolina two years later. He signed consecutive two-way deals after that to extend his stay in the Carolina organization to five years. However, he became a Group VI unrestricted free agent in 2022 and moved to the Avalanche on a two-year, two-way deal that offseason. After failing to land an NHL call-up again, he signed a two-way contract with Washington last summer.
Despite his name, the Prince Edward Island native is of good size, 6’1″ and 200 lbs. He can play both center and right-wing, and while his point totals have never really taken off in the minors, he has solidified himself as a solid top-nine presence after a few years of ECHL assignments to begin his career. His production has taken off somewhat in 2024-25, recording a career-high 9-24–33 scoring line in 55 games with AHL Hershey. He’d put up three straight 10-goal seasons entering this year but has yet to cross the 30-point mark in his professional career.
Smallman won a Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves in 2022 and has 47-81–128 in 299 career AHL games. The chances of him making his NHL debut seem slimmer than ever – he’ll be 30 by the end of this deal – but he’s shown enough in the Capitals’ farm system this season for them to view him as a valuable depth piece to complement their younger prospects.
Red Wings’ Trey Augustine Remaining With Michigan State For 2025-26
The Red Wings will need to wait to see goaltending prospect Trey Augustine suit up for them in the professional ranks. The 2023 second-round pick informed the team he intends to return to Michigan State for his junior season of college play, per Mike McMahon of College Hockey News.
Augustine, 20, would be many teams’ top goalie in their system. He’s not in Detroit, which also has 2021 first-rounder Sebastian Cossa on the way. The latter is the No. 5 prospect in the Wings’ pool, while Augustine ranks sixth, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. The Wings aren’t at risk of losing his signing rights until August 2027, so today’s news should be viewed more as Augustine’s desired development path rather than kicking the can down the road to free agency.
The 6’1″, 194-lb netminder has become a household name in the junior hockey world. He’s backstopped the United States in the last three World Junior Championships, winning a bronze and a pair of golds along the way. In their 2024 win, he led the tournament in GAA (1.75) and SV% (.936).
Mixed with a sparkling collegiate resume, it’s easy to see why optimism abounds about Augustine’s chances of being an NHL starter in a few years. As a freshman with the Spartans in 2023-24, he logged a 2.96 GAA, .915 SV%, three shutouts, and a 23-9-2 record in 35 games en route to winning both the Big Ten regular-season title and tournament championship while being named MVP of the latter. He also took home conference All-Rookie and Second All-Star Team honors.
Here in 2024-25, Augustine’s put up a repeat performance with even better stats. He led Michigan State back to a tournament championship and tied for the regular-season crown, putting up an improved 2.08 GAA and .924 SV% along the way. He made 30 appearances with a 19-7-4 record, although his Spartans were upset by Cornell in the regional semifinals of the national tournament.
Augustine remaining in school isn’t a huge concern for the Red Wings’ plans between the pipes in 2025-26. They have Petr Mrázek and Cam Talbot signed through next season to form their NHL tandem, with Cossa waiting in the wings as a high-end No. 3 option in case one of the veterans falters. 23-year-old Carter Gylander is their fourth goalie already signed for 2025-26. He’s having a good rookie season in the ECHL with Toledo and could be in line to serve as Cossa’s full-time backup in AHL Grand Rapids next season. They’ll likely be on the hunt for a cheap veteran name on the free agent market to stash in the minors, but there isn’t a gaping hole in the depth chart that Augustine would fill if he signed now.