Red Wings Sign Anton Johansson To Entry-Level Contract
The Red Wings announced they’ve signed defense prospect Anton Johansson to his entry-level deal. It’s a three-year pact that doesn’t begin until next season, but he’ll still finish out 2024-25 in the organization on a tryout with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, Johansson isn’t related to fellow Detroit rearguard Albert Johansson. He is, however, the cousin of Sharks center Alexander Wennberg. A 6’4″ right-shot defender, he’s spent his entire professional career to date with Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League. This season, the puck-moving blue-liner has 5-5–10 in 46 games with a minus-one rating and a team-high 50 PIMs.
The 20-year-old throws the body frequently, but at a shade under 200 lbs, he’ll likely need to put on a little more weight for his height before he gets a look in NHL minutes. Johansson was ranked as the No. 15 prospect in Detroit’s system by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler last month. He tabbed Johansson as a “high-floor, low-ceiling guy” who can likely serve as good organizational depth out of the gate, but likely doesn’t top out any higher than being a semi-regular third-pairing option.
Nonetheless, he’s another intriguing option in Detroit’s rather deep stable of prospects. They’re thinner at the position now with the graduation of Simon Edvinsson taking on full-time NHL minutes, but still have Shai Buium, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and William Wallinder on the way as higher-ceiling options than Johansson.
Johansson was signed with Leksand through the 2026-27 campaign. In the likely event he doesn’t crack the NHL roster out of camp in the fall, he must first be offered back to Leksands on loan first before being assigned to the AHL because he’s a non-first-round pick under the age of 24. He’ll be a restricted free agent when his NHL deal expires in the summer of 2028.
West Notes: Zary, Barbashev, Howden, Gregor
Second-year Flames forward Connor Zary is facing a suspension after he elbowed Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson in last night’s shootout loss, per the league’s Department of Player Safety. Officials assessed Zary a minor penalty for interference on the play, which occurred midway through the first period. The Calgary forward laid a retaliatory check on Pettersson after the rearguard laid a heavy hit on Flames center Nazem Kadri, leaving the ice and seemingly making Pettersson’s head the main point of contact (video via B/R Open Ice). Pettersson only took two more shifts before leaving the game entirely in the second period. This will be the first supplemental discipline, including fines, of Zary’s brief NHL career. The 2020 first-rounder is tied for sixth on the team in scoring this season with 12-12–24 in 49 games. He missed most of January and February with a knee injury, which kept him out of 15 games.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- The Golden Knights are getting reinforcements up front. Forwards Ivan Barbashev and Brett Howden will re-enter the lineup tonight against the Blue Jackets, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters (including Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers). Barbashev missed Tuesday’s game against the Penguins due to personal reasons, while Howden sat out with an undisclosed injury. Neither’s absence will stretch into a multi-game one. Both players are among the team’s top 10 scorers, with Barbashev posting 19-22–41 in 53 games and Howden logging 17-13–30 in 62 appearances. Jonas Røndbjerg and Cole Schwindt will exit the lineup as a result of their returns.
- Noah Gregor will kick off his second stint with the Sharks tonight after resolving his work visa issues, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Gregor, acquired from the Senators in the deadline day Fabian Zetterlund deal, was unavailable for San Jose’s last two games while getting his documentation sorted. The 26-year-old played parts of four seasons for the Sharks from 2019-20 to 2022-23, compiling 26-25–51 in 178 appearances for the club. He’d struggled in Ottawa this year after signing in the Canadian capital as a free agent last summer, posting 4-2–6 in 40 games with a -12 rating.
East Notes: Tanev, Ristolainen, Kucherov
The Maple Leafs could have defenseman Chris Tanev back in the lineup tonight. Head coach Craig Berube told reporters this morning, including David Alter of The Hockey News, he’ll be a game-time decision for a key matchup against the Panthers in the Atlantic Division title race. The 35-year-old has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury. It’s believed to be a shoulder issue. He left a Feb. 25 game against the Bruins after taking a hit into the boards from Boston forward John Beecher, ending his contest after one shift. The Leafs have gone 3-2-1 in his absence, treading water without their top shutdown defender, but have allowed 4.17 goals per game over that stretch. They’ve struggled to control play at 5-on-5 with a 43.7 CF%, a number Tanev’s return will undoubtedly help boost. While his raw 47.4 CF% at even strength on the year isn’t particularly impressive, he dominates shot quality over quantity and leads the team with a +8.8 expected rating and +26 actual rating. He also ranks fifth in the league with 151 blocked shots.
More out of the Eastern Conference:
- Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen will be held out of the lineup for tonight’s game against Tampa as he nurses a minor injury, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. The 30-year-old was a speculative trade candidate at last week’s deadline but stayed put amid a lack of interest given general manager Daniel Brière‘s reportedly high asking price. He’s thrived in a defensively-oriented role this year, posting a career-high plus-three rating while averaging 20:31 per game on a Philly squad with a -24 goal differential at 5-on-5. 24-year-old lefty Yegor Zamula will replace him in the lineup after sitting as a scratch for Tuesday’s game against the Senators, the team announced.
- Lightning star winger Nikita Kucherov remains less than 100%. The 31-year-old wasn’t a participant in today’s morning skate, per the team’s Gabby Shirley, an increasingly frequent occurrence in recent days. While he has five points in his last four outings, he hasn’t logged over 20 minutes of ice time in any of them and played just 15:17 against the Hurricanes on Tuesday. He still has 28-64–92 in 61 appearances this year, the third-highest points-per-game pace of his future Hall-of-Fame career. Head coach Jon Cooper confirmed Kucherov is dealing with an illness and will be a game-time decision.
PHR Live Chat: 3/12/25
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Flames Recall Adam Klapka
Adam Klapka has been added back to the Flames’ roster, per a team announcement. He’s now been recalled from AHL Calgary for the fifth time this season and marks the first of the Flames’ four allotted post-deadline recalls.
Last week, Calgary reassigned the hulking 24-year-old on deadline day to make him eligible to suit up for the Wranglers in the Calder Cup Playoffs. They waited a few days to bring him back to the NHL, but he’s once again available to dress after spending most of the post-4 Nations schedule so far up with the big club. He’s scored once in 13 NHL games this year, averaging 8:10 per game.
The 6’8″ forward arrived in the Flames organization in 2022, when they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Czechia’s Bili Tygri Liberec. In addition to his 236-lb frame, he’s proven an effective scorer in the minors as well. He has 48-49–97 in 158 games with the Wranglers over the past three years, including 14-12–26 in 33 games this year with 50 PIMs and a minus-one rating.
The Flames now have 22 players on their active roster, including 13 forwards. Klapka will likely be an extra forward for tonight’s huge game against the Canucks, their chief competitor for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but is theoretically available to draw in.
Klapka, a pending restricted free agent, will need a new deal this summer and is eligible for salary arbitration. If he re-signs and doesn’t make the team out of camp in the fall, he’ll need to clear waivers on his way down to the AHL.
Lightning Recall Cam Atkinson
The Lightning have recalled winger Cam Atkinson from AHL Syracuse, according to NHL.com’s Benjamin Pierce. While they don’t need to make a corresponding move, he is the first of their four allotted post-deadline standard recalls.
Atkinson, a 13-year NHL veteran, has only suited up twice for the Bolts since the 4 Nations Face-Off. He was a healthy scratch in four out of six games before landing on standard waivers for the first time in his career and heading to Syracuse before the deadline, freeing up cap space for Tampa to acquire Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde from the Kraken.
The 35-year-old signed a one-year, $900K deal with the Lightning last summer after the Flyers bought out the final season of his seven-year, $41.1MM contract. He was coming off an underwhelming year in Philadelphia, managing 13-15–28 in 70 games after missing all of the 2022-23 season due to neck surgery. Unfortunately, this year hasn’t been any better. The seven-time 20-goal scorer has averaged just 8:50 across 37 games for the Bolts, scoring 3-5–8 with a minus-three rating.
The Bolts had to run 11 forwards and seven defensemen in last night’s loss to the Hurricanes after Mitchell Chaffee was a late scratch. While he’s not expected to miss any more action, recalling Atkinson gives them another option to insert into the fourth line with Zemgus Girgensons and Luke Glendening instead of having to dress a seventh defender and put their forward lines in a blender.
Atkinson did not play for Syracuse in his brief demotion. If he did, it would have marked his first AHL appearance since the 2011-12 campaign. The former Columbus sixth-round pick has 252-236–488 in 807 career games with the Blue Jackets, Flyers and Lightning and will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
List Of Prospects With Signing Rights Expiring June 1
Every year, most NHL teams will see at least one prospect vanish from their reserve list on June 1. That’s the date stipulated by the league’s transfer agreements with the Canadian Hockey League and European leagues, not including the Kontinental Hockey League or the Swiss National League, that prospects drafted from those leagues will become free agents if not signed. For CHL players, that date is two years after they’re drafted, at which point they can re-enter the draft or declare free agency. For European players, it’s four years after their draft date.
A few teams have been busy removing players from this list over the past two weeks. As of March 1, players are now eligible to sign entry-level contracts that don’t begin until the 2025-26 campaign. As such, most players listed here are likelier than not to lose their affiliation with their draft team.
That means this year, CHL players selected in the 2023 draft will hit free agency and can declare for the 2025 draft if not signed by July 1. Meanwhile, unsigned players still in European professional leagues who were initially eligible for the 2021 draft will see their exclusive signing rights expire. Here’s the full list of those affected players, with some help from PuckPedia:
Anaheim Ducks
D Vojtech Port (2023, 6-161)
D Konnor Smith (2023, 4-97)
F Carey Terrance (2023, 2-59)
Boston Bruins
D Jonathan Myrenberg (2021, 5-140)
Buffalo Sabres
F Viljami Marjala (2021, 5-159)
F Ethan Miedema (2023, 4-109)
F William von Barnekow (2021, 6-161)
Calgary Flames
F Jaden Lipinski (2023, 4-112)
Carolina Hurricanes
G Patrik Hamrla (2021, 3-83)
G Nikita Quapp (2021, 6-187)
Chicago Blackhawks
F Marcel Marcel (2023, 5-131)
F Milton Oscarson (2023, 6-167)
F Alex Pharand (2023, 4-99)
F Victor Stjernborg (2021, 4-108)
Colorado Avalanche
F Maros Jedlicka (2023, 7-219)
Columbus Blue Jackets
F Tyler Peddle (2023, 7-224)
F Martin Rysavy (2021, 7-197)
Dallas Stars
F Brad Gardiner (2023, 3-79)
F Albert Sjöberg (2021, 7-207)
G Arno Tiefensee (2023, 5-157)
Detroit Red Wings
F Liam Dower-Nilsson (2021, 5-134)
Edmonton Oilers
G Nathaniel Day (2023, 6-184)
Florida Panthers
D Luke Coughlin (2023, 6-191)
F Jakub Kos (2021, 6-184)
Los Angeles Kings
D Matthew Mania (2023, 5-150)
Minnesota Wild
D Kalem Parker (2023, 6-181)
Montreal Canadiens
G Quentin Miller (2023, 4-128)
G Joe Vrbetic (2021, 7-214)
Nashville Predators
G Juha Jatkola (2023, 4-121)
D Dylan MacKinnon (2023, 3-83)
D Anton Olsson (2021, 3-72)
New Jersey Devils
F Cole Brown (2023, 6-164)
New York Islanders
F Justin Gill (2023, 5-145)
F Aleksi Malinen (2021, 6-189)
New York Rangers
none
Ottawa Senators
F Oliver Johansson (2021, 3-74)
Philadelphia Flyers
D Matteo Mann (2023, 7-199)
D Carter Sotheran (2023, 5-135)
D Brian Zanetti (2021, 4-110)
Pittsburgh Penguins
F Cooper Foster (2023, 6-174)
San Jose Sharks
F Theo Jacobsson (2021, 6-177)
Seattle Kraken
D Kaden Hammell (2023, 5-148)
F Andrei Loshko (2023, 4-116)
St. Louis Blues
D Matthew Mayich (2023, 6-170)
Tampa Bay Lightning
F Ethan Hay (2023, 7-211)
Toronto Maple Leafs
none
Utah Hockey Club
D Justin Kipkie (2023, 5-160)
G Rasmus Korhonen (2021, 4-122)
Vancouver Canucks
F Lucas Forsell (2021, 7-201)
D Hugo Gabrielson (2021, 6-169)
Vegas Golden Knights
D Artur Cholach (2021, 6-190)
Washington Capitals
F Håkon Hänelt (2021, 5-151)
F Brett Hyland (2023, 7-200)
F Patrick Thomas (2023, 4-104)
Winnipeg Jets
F Connor Levis (2023, 7-210)
Rangers, Jonathan Quick Agree To Extension
Rangers veteran backup Jonathan Quick will return for his 19th NHL season in 2025-26. The team announced they’ve agreed to terms on a one-year extension, which Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports is worth $1.55MM. Per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, that will be paid out via a $1MM base salary and $550K signing bonus. Quick can also earn up to $300K in performance bonuses as part of his 35+ contract and has a modified no-trade clause. His performance bonuses break down as follows:
20 starts with .915+ SV%: $75K
35 GP: $25K
40 GP: $50K
20 Ws: $50K
25 Ws: $100K
The 39-year-old netminder is in his second season in Manhattan as the No. 2 to Igor Shesterkin, posting a .896 SV%, 3.14 GAA and three shutouts in 17 starts and four relief appearances this year. He was extremely hot to start the campaign, going 5-1-0 with a .936 SV% in seven appearances in October and November, but has a .874 SV% and 4-5-2 record in his last 14. He’s started two of 10 games coming out of the 4 Nations break, a light workload he should be expected to replicate down the stretch with the Rangers in a battle for their playoff lives.
Quick’s career résumé needs no introduction. The three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Kings and Golden Knights ranks 14th all-time with 402 wins, a figure that leads American-born netminders. He also has 63 career shutouts, outpacing No. 2 Ryan Miller by 19 for first all-time among Americans. He’s never won a Vezina Trophy, but was the runner-up in 2012 and a finalist in 2016.
But on the whole, Quick hasn’t been nearly as valuable to the Rangers as last year. A UFA pickup in the 2023 offseason, Quick was one of the league’s better backups in 2023-24 with a .911 SV%, 2.62 GAA, and an 18-6-2 record in 27 showings. That showing was good for 9.8 goals saved above expected behind an average Rangers defense, per MoneyPuck, a figure that’s dipped to -2.6 this year. They could do far worse for a limited-use backup, though, and those year-to-year swings have become commonplace for Quick in the twilight of his career. He hasn’t posted a save percentage north of .900 in back-to-back years since doing so in 10 consecutive seasons to begin his career.
Quick was set to be a UFA this summer after signing a similarly-structured extension last March. This deal carries a higher salary guarantee and total earning potential than his current deal, which afforded him $1.275MM in salary and signing bonus with just one $25K performance bonus, which he won’t earn as it required him to make 20 starts with a SV% of at least .915.
If he declines further next year, pending RFA Dylan Garand would be his replacement on the roster pending any external additions. The 22-year-old has been called up on a few occasions from AHL Hartford over the past few years to back up either Shesterkin or Quick when the other is unavailable but has yet to make his NHL debut. In 30 minor-league games this year, he has a .912 SV%, 2.79 GAA, three shutouts, and a 16-7-7 record.
Out of the 23 players currently on the Rangers’ active roster, 17 are now signed through next season at a combined cap hit of $84.89MM, per PuckPedia. That leaves the Rangers with $10.61MM in cap space to fill six roster spots, nearly all of which could be swallowed up by new deals for pending RFAs William Cuylle and K’Andre Miller.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Metropolitan Notes: Boqvist, Tortorella, Jarry
As the Islanders lost a key game to the Kings last night, falling behind in the playoff race, they also lost depth defenseman Adam Boqvist to an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old left the game in the second period after a clean neutral-zone collision with Los Angeles winger Kevin Fiala and didn’t return (video via Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News). Head coach Patrick Roy didn’t have an update on his status postgame, per Andrew Gross of Newsday. Based on the hit, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him enter concussion protocol and miss at least Friday’s game against the Oilers. Boqvist has been more than serviceable in a third-pairing role for the Isles since they claimed him off waivers from the Panthers in late January, posting 2-3–5 in 12 games while averaging 14:31 per game. He’s remained in the lineup (albeit on his off side) and on the power play even after fellow righties Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock returned from their long-term injuries. While it initially seemed like he was heading toward non-tender territory this summer, Rosner notes he’s likely worked his way into the conversation for a spot in New York’s 2025-26 lineup.
More from the Metropolitan Division this morning:
- Flyers head coach John Tortorella reaffirmed he doesn’t anticipate ending his coaching career anytime soon, via Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. While he’s entering the final year of his contract in 2025-26, he called speculation that he’d shift to a front-office role for the Flyers “noise” and that it “never influences how I go about my business and never will.” The 66-year-old two-time Jack Adams winner has a 96-102-32 record behind the Philly bench and is set to miss the postseason for the third year in a row.
- After a two-month stint in the minors, it’s worth noting high-paid Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry has returned to form and then some since being recalled from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last week. He’s started both of Pittsburgh’s last two games with raucous results, guiding them to a pair of wins while allowing only three goals on 67 shots for a .955 SV%. The 29-year-old still has just a .891 mark on the year with a 10-8-4 record in 23 appearances and has three years remaining on his deal at a $5.375MM cap hit.
Stars Sign Angus MacDonell To Entry-Level Deal
The Stars announced they’ve signed forward prospect Angus MacDonell to a three-year, entry-level contract. It will begin next season, taking him through the 2027-28 campaign.
Dallas selected MacDonell, 19, in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. They were set to lose his signing rights on June 1 if they didn’t get him inked to a contract, after which he could have re-entered the draft for 2025.
The 5’10” center was drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League’s Mississauga Steelheads and followed the franchise with their minor relocation to Brampton last summer. While not overly bulky at 185 lbs, he plays much larger than he is and plays a physical game – the drawback there being frequent penalties. He’s logged 162 PIMs in 100 games over the past two years.
Of course, he complements that engagement with good offensive play. A good shooter, he’s tallied 24-23–47 in 39 games with the Steelheads this year after posting 32-30–62 in 61 games in 2023-24.
While he doesn’t have the ceiling of a top-six forward, he could top out as a solid complementary piece on a scoring-oriented third line like the Stars tend to ice. He’ll be eligible to report to AHL Texas on a tryout down the stretch after his junior season ends, but he won’t be able to make his NHL debut until next season. He’ll likely see a full year or two of development in the minors before being considered for a recall near the end of his rookie deal if he develops well.