Bruins Assign Mason Lohrei To Minors
The Bruins announced Friday that blue-liner Mason Lohrei has been assigned to AHL Providence. He’ll get some game action in the minors starting tonight after being scratched in nine of Boston’s last 11 games.
A second-round pick in 2020, the 23-year-old Lohrei still holds the title of the best defense prospect in the organization. He made his NHL debut in November, and early returns suggest he’s well on his way to becoming a regular on the Bruins’ blue line. Through 41 games, the Louisiana native has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) with a -2 rating while averaging 16:57 per game. The Bruins’ possession metrics have been worse than you’d think, given their 107 points, and Lohrei’s individual ones are a tad below average, with a 46.3 CF% and a 49.1 xGF% at even strength. There’s room for improvement, but rookie defenders rarely dominate shot attempts or possession quality.
Lohrei has played spot duty on special teams, averaging around 30 seconds per game on both the power play and penalty kill. His power-play impact has been impressive, although he does have a goal and two assists with the man advantage. He has shone through on the penalty kill, posting a relative CF% of 10.7 and doing well in limiting shot attempts compared to his teammates. That’s a promising early sign of his ability to deal with increased minutes on the PK as he develops.
He’s played well enough that Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery likely won’t have any qualms about inserting Lohrei into the playoff lineup if injuries force Boston’s blue-line depth to step up. He’ll have the option to make postseason appearances for Providence, too, which has clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He has one year left on his entry-level contract with a $925K cap hit and will be an RFA in 2025.
Kraken Reassign Shane Wright, Logan Morrison, Ryan Winterton
The Kraken reassigned forwards Shane Wright, Logan Morrison and Ryan Winterton to AHL Coachella Valley this afternoon, per a team announcement. No corresponding transactions are anticipated for Seattle, which has been eliminated from playoff contention and has four games remaining on its regular season schedule. The three youngsters will now gear up for the Calder Cup Playoffs with one of the top teams in the minors after getting NHL trials down the stretch.
Wright’s two-week showing was easily his best so far in the NHL. The 2022 fourth-overall pick skated in five games, exploding for four goals and an assist while averaging 15:47 per game, the longest leash head coach Dave Hakstol has given him thus far. All four goals came at even strength, too – his assist was his only power-play point. It was his first stint in the majors since a three-game showing in November, during which he averaged less than 10 minutes per game and was held without a point.
It was surely a confidence booster for the 20-year-old, who was viewed as the consensus first-overall selection in 2022 for a number of years but has had a somewhat rocky development path since the COVID-19 pandemic. After doing well in Coachella Valley with 20 goals and 43 points in 56 games this season, he’ll throw his hat in the ring for a spot on the opening night roster next season.
Morrison and Winterton were on the Kraken roster for a tad longer, recalled together six days before Wright on March 25. It was Morrison’s first NHL recall and Winterton’s second. Morrison played more sparingly than his counterpart but was given a larger role when in the lineup, averaging 13:08 in four appearances. He was a healthy scratch in four of the Kraken’s last five games, though, and failed to record a point, posting a -1 rating and winning 14 of his 31 draws (45.2%).
The 21-year-old undrafted free agent signing has done quite well in Coachella Valley in his first professional season, ranking seventh on the team in scoring with 40 points (15 goals, 25 assists) in 60 games with a +12 rating. Both he and Winterton will likely report back to the minors to begin 2024-25 but should be in line for more call-ups throughout the year.
Winterton has totaled nine appearances across both of his recalls this season but has yet to record his first NHL point. He logged a -1 rating, four blocks, and 10 hits while averaging 9:20 per game. His 21 goals in 55 games for Coachella Valley are third on the team. All three players will see their entry-level contracts expire simultaneously in 2026.
Canadiens Sign Lane Hutson To Entry-Level Deal
2:49 p.m.: Hutson’s ELC carries the maximum $950K cap hit, per PuckPedia. The full breakdown is as follows:
2023-24: $855K base salary, $95K signing bonus
2024-25: $855K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $750K Schedule ‘A’ performance bonuses
2025-26: $885K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $850K Schedule ‘A’ performance bonuses
In a follow-up note, PuckPedia added that the maximum amount of ‘A’ cumulative bonuses Hutson can earn on the contract is $1.15MM over the two seasons.
1:26 p.m.: The Canadiens have signed top defense prospect Lane Hutson to an entry-level contract, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Friday.
The 20-year-old’s sophomore season at Boston University ended yesterday when the Terriers were eliminated in the semifinals of the NCAA national championship, upset 2-1 in overtime by Denver. Hutson won’t make his NHL debut tomorrow against the Senators but could suit up in their two remaining contests against the Red Wings, says Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.
Montreal confirmed it’s a three-year deal beginning immediately for Hutson, meaning he’ll be an RFA upon expiry in 2026. They didn’t disclose financial terms.
Hutson, a left-shot, landed first in the Canadiens prospect pool in Scott Wheeler’s 2024 rankings for The Athletic, continuing a meteoric rise in the diminutive defender’s stock. Many public scouts viewed him as a potential first-round selection in the 2022 draft but slipped all the way to Montreal at 62nd overall, late in the second round, with many clubs scared off by his 5’8″ frame. He’s now listed at 5’10” and 161 lbs nearly two years later.
It’s been an exemplary two years for Hutson at BU. Serving as an alternate captain this season, he led all NCAA blue-liners in scoring with 49 points, tied with 2024 draft-eligible Zeev Buium, who’s now moving on to the national championship game tomorrow with Denver. His 1.29 points per game were solely in first place, making him a Hobey Baker Award nominee for the top collegiate player for a second straight season.
He put up quite similar totals in his freshman campaign, earning him Hockey East All-Star credits in both seasons. His 48 points in 39 games in 2022-23 broke Hall-of-Famer Brian Leetch‘s records for the most points by a U-19 defenseman in an NCAA season. The Illinois-born defender has also suited up for Team USA in each of the last two World Junior Championships, winning bronze in 2023 and gold in 2024 while totaling a goal and nine assists across 14 tournament games.
Some concerns remain about his undersized frame and his lack of ability to box out NHL forwards in front of his own net, likely dampening his long-term value only slightly. He’s still a possession monster and an incredibly high-volume shooter with excellent agility and playmaking skills, and he has first-pair upside if partnered with a larger, defensively intelligent blue-liner. Even if he can’t handle those minutes at even strength, he’s a slam dunk to quarterback the Habs’ top power play unit in the near future.
Hutson will likely remain in the NHL next season but will need to unseat other young Montreal defenders like Justin Barron, Jayden Struble, Arber Xhekaj, or the older Johnathan Kovacevic for a roster spot. All are either signed for next season or otherwise under team control.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Predators Recall Troy Grosenick
The Predators recalled Troy Grosenick from AHL Milwaukee on Friday, per a team announcement. He’ll back up Kevin Lankinen tonight against the Blackhawks, allowing starter Juuse Saros to take a rest and avoid injury risk with three games left until the playoffs.
Grosenick, 34, has been one of the AHL’s premier goalies for most of the last decade. However, his success has never brought him close to a full-time NHL role. He’s only made four career top-level starts—two in 2014-15 with the Sharks and two in 2020-21 with the Kings.
The former Union College standout’s professional career began in 2013, inking an entry-level deal in San Jose as an undrafted free agent. He’s since bounced around on two-way deals with the Kings, Predators, Bruins, and Flyers. He returned to the Preds organization last summer on a one-year, two-way deal ($775K/$175K) to mentor top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov, his second contractual stint with the club after signing a one-year deal for the 2019-20 season.
That wasn’t his only previous campaign in Milwaukee, however. The Sharks loaned him there for a decent chunk of his time with the club, resulting in him playing 86 games with the Admirals between 2018 and 2020.
His return to Milwaukee has been solid but not overly triumphant. An injury kept him out for most of last season in the Flyers organization, limiting him to six appearances with Lehigh Valley. He’s failed to return to his former routine showings above a .920 SV%, posting a .907 mark and two shutouts with a 17-7-1 record in 28 games for Milwaukee this year. He’s only two years removed from a career-best campaign in the Bruins organization with AHL Providence when he led the league in GAA (2.00) and SV% (.933) in 30 appearances and earned a Second All-Star Team nod.
A pending UFA, Grosenick could make a fifth NHL start down the stretch if the Preds decide to let Saros rest for the remainder of the regular season. Entering tonight, Saros had started 11 of Nashville’s 15 games since the deadline. They’ve clinched a playoff spot and are guaranteed one of the two wild-card berths in the West.
Team USA Fills Out Management Group For 4 Nations, 2026 Olympics
USA Hockey has announced the remainder of the management group that will complement Wild GM Bill Guerin for next season’s 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Rangers GM Chris Drury, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald and Panthers GM Bill Zito have been named assistant GMs to Guerin. Wild director of player personnel Chris Kelleher will occupy the same role for the national team as he does under Guerin in Minnesota.
Guerin was confirmed as the GM of both squads in February. Earlier this season, he was reportedly the subject of an internal investigation “following a human resources complaint by an employee who alleged verbal abuse in the workplace,” per The Athletic’s Michael Russo. The investigation later determined he did not commit a fireable offense.
This is Drury’s fifth time holding a management role with Team USA. All his previous national team managerial experience came at the World Championship, where he served as AGM in 2016 and 2017 and GM in 2019 and 2021. Drury-managed teams have only medalled once, capturing a bronze medal in ’21.
As a player, he was no stranger to helping out the national team. In fact, he was quite well-decorated internationally, representing the USA at three Olympics (2002, 2006, 2010), three World Championships (1997, 1998, 2004), and the 1996 World Juniors. He took home two Olympic silvers and one Worlds bronze in that time and was eventually inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016, shortly after taking a director of player development role with the Rangers. He was promoted to AGM and later GM and president of hockey operations ahead of the 2021-22 season.
This is Fitzgerald’s first managerial experience with the national team. He’s held front-office roles in the NHL dating back to 2007 and was named GM of the Devils midway through the 2019-20 season. As a player, he suited up for Team USA at the 1987 World Juniors and in the 1989 and 1991 World Championships.
Zito returns to managing Team USA after GMing their World Championship squad in 2018, back when he was an AGM for the Blue Jackets. It’s his first national team nod since being named GM of the Panthers in 2020, since overseeing the most sustained period of success in franchise history.
Like Fitzgerald, the 49-year-old Kelleher has no international managerial experience, although he did have a cup of coffee as a player with Team USA at the 1995 World Juniors. He predates Guerin with the Wild by a decade, first joining Minnesota as a pro scout in 2009. He’s steadily worked his way up the ranks, earning a promotion to director of pro scouting in 2019 before being named their director of player personnel in 2022.
Mark Stone Cleared To Return To Practice
Golden Knights captain Mark Stone has been cleared to return to practice ahead of today’s morning skate, the team announced. He’s been out since sustaining a lacerated spleen on Feb. 20, missing nearly two months and the following 22 games.
Vegas moved Stone to standard injured reserve shortly after exiting the lineup and later to LTIR on March 4, a few days before the trade deadline. The increase in cap relief from Stone’s $9.5MM cap hit allowed GM Kelly McCrimmon to go all out, picking up two of the best players on the market in defenseman Noah Hanifin and center Tomáš Hertl, albeit both with significant salary retention from their former clubs.
This year marks the third straight campaign Stone has missed significant time – in fact, his 56 games before sustaining the spleen laceration this year were his most in a season since 2019-20. Back problems were the culprit for his absences over the past two years, including a surgery that sidelined him for the final 39 games of the 2022-23 regular season. He returned in time for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, looking refreshed as he tallied 11 goals in 24 points in 22 games en route to the franchise’s first championship.
Those back problems haven’t cost him any time this season, a promising sign as he still has three years remaining on his contract with a full no-move clause. The two-time Selke Trophy finalist has maintained his reputation as one of the best two-way wingers in the league, posting 16 goals and 53 points in 56 games this year while averaging 19:24 per game. His possession metrics took an uncharacteristic dip, though, failing to dominate shot attempts with a career-low 48.4 CF% at even strength. His 51.7 xGF% and +2.4 expected rating were also his worst since being traded to Vegas in 2019.
The Golden Knights haven’t confirmed Stone’s status for a potential Game 1 of a first-round series next weekend – they need to clinch a spot first, something they can do tonight if they exit their game against the Wild with more points than the Blues do against the Hurricanes. Still, a return to practice a week out paints positive signs for his ability to return at some point before the end of the month.
If he plays, he’ll do so in a new-look VGK top nine, bolstered by the additions of Hertl and Anthony Mantha further down the lineup. He’ll occupy his normal top-six right-wing role, either with Hertl or Jack Eichel at center.
Stone being cleared for game action prior to the final game of the regular season on April 18 would create unimaginable headaches for Vegas. There’s no realistic way for them to be cap-compliant with Stone activated from LTIR, as they’d need to remove more than $8.7MM worth of cap hits from their active roster to reinstate him. Keeping him on LTIR if he’s truly able to return before Game 1 would likely spur a league investigation and could result in penalties for cap circumvention, which could include cap penalties for next season, forfeiture of draft picks at the league’s discretion, and even the forfeiture of any games affected by their circumvention, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Filip Chytil Medically Cleared, Skating With Rangers
Rangers center Filip Chytil is skating with the Rangers at this morning’s practice in a non-contact jersey, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today Sports reports. Per Mercogliano, Chytil has been medically cleared to return after missing the last six months with two suspected concussions, although the team has only officially designated him with an upper-body injury. The team announced in late January that Chytil was expected to miss the remainder of 2023-24 after sustaining a setback in his recovery.
Today marked Chytil’s first time skating with the team since Jan. 26, when he had to be helped off the ice after sustaining a setback related to his initial suspected concussion in early November. The team will carefully manage his return to the lineup, and he isn’t expected to play in their two remaining regular-season contests.
However, given today’s medical clearance, playoffs may now be possible for Chytil, says Mercogliano. There remains no timetable for a return, and his availability for Game 1 of a first-round series next weekend should be considered doubtful at best.
Chytil’s near-season-long absence factored heavily into GM Chris Drury‘s approach to the trade deadline. Their big fish was two-way center Alexander Wennberg, acquiring him from the Kraken for a pair of draft picks to anchor their third line, just as Chytil was expected to do behind Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad. Wennberg has been fine in a shutdown role since the swap, scoring once and adding four assists in 17 games while averaging 15:09 per game. His possession metrics have been promising, given his heavy defensive-zone usage, posting a 52.2 CF% and 50.0 xGF% at even strength since the swap. He hasn’t been much of a factor short-handed, though, averaging less than a minute per game on the penalty kill.
However, getting Chytil back for their pending playoff action would give them a much more mobile option to center their third line with significantly higher offensive upside. The 24-year-old set career highs across the board last season, notching 22 goals and 45 points in 77 contests with a +15 rating. He didn’t score a goal through 10 games this season before exiting with injury, but he did manage six assists. He also had a goal and three assists in last year’s seven-game loss to the Devils in the first round. That would allow Wennberg to slide to a more comfortable fourth-line shutdown role, relieving him of the offensive responsibility that comes with buoying current third-line wingers William Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko.
Chytil’s long-term health and recovery will still be top of mind as the Rangers ease him back into the lineup, whether that’s this postseason or during training camp next fall. The 2017 first-round pick is only one season into the four-year, $17.75MM extension he signed in the Big Apple in March 2023.
Senators Notes: Stützle, Kubalik, Hamonic
Senators star center Tim Stützle isn’t playing in tonight’s clash against the Lightning, interim head coach Jacques Martin said. It marks his fourth straight absence with an upper-body injury sustained last week against the Panthers. It’s fair to wonder if Ottawa will opt to shut down their first-line pivot for the season with only three games left after tonight and playoffs not in the picture yet again for the Sens.
2023-24 has been a step back for the 2020 third-overall pick, although he still produced at a good clip with 70 points (18 goals, 52 assists) in 75 games. Expectations were quite high after a 39-goal, 90-point campaign last year, though, and the Sens will need him to get back to that level if they want to shake their seven-year playoff drought. As it stands, Stützle will take the Sens’ scoring crown, although captain Brady Tkachuk only trails him by two with 34 goals and 68 points on the year.
Elsewhere in Sens-land:
- Winger Dominik Kubalík has recovered from his undisclosed injury but was still out of the lineup as a healthy scratch against the Bolts, per Dean Brown of TSN 1200. The 28-year-old had been out for the past two games after logging less than eight minutes against the Devils last Saturday. It’s been a season to forget for Kubalík, who Ottawa acquired as part of the return from the Red Wings for the signing rights to then-RFA winger Alex DeBrincat. The two-time 20-goal scorer was limited to just 11 tallies and 15 points through his first 72 games of the season and will have little opportunity to add to that total over the next few days. He’s spent most of the 2024 calendar year in a bottom-six role and has averaged 12:13 on the season, his lowest usage since making his NHL debut in 2019. It seems unlikely he’ll re-up upon completion of his two-year, $5MM deal this summer.
- Brown also says defenseman Travis Hamonic has likely played his last game of 2023-24. He’s officially missed four games with a lower-body injury, although he was a healthy scratch in six prior and hasn’t suited up since March 21 against the Blues. Bringing the 33-year-old back on a two-year, $2.2MM deal with full no-move protection has proven to be an unwise gamble for now-former GM Pierre Dorion. He’s easily been the team’s worst defender this season, posting six points in 48 games on the season with a -10 rating and horrid possession metrics (43.2 CF%, 41.5 xGF%) despite shouldering less than 15 minutes per game.
Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Guhle, Johansson, Fleury
An early playoff exit would likely result in wide-sweeping coaching and front-office changes for the Maple Leafs, James Mirtle of The Athletic said on “The Leaf Report” Thursday. “If there’s another really disappointing first-round exit, they’re gonna want blood. And I don’t know if just firing the coach is enough. I think they’re gonna want more than that,” said Mirtle.
The appetite for playoff success in Toronto is at an all-time high. The team has played some of its best hockey down the stretch and won a playoff series in 2023 for the first time in 19 years. That first-round win over the Lightning was their first after a remarkable six straight first-round/qualifying-round losses, although they were quickly dispatched by the eventual Eastern Conference champion Panthers in five games in the second round.
A first-round exit in a likely rematch against the Panthers would likely result in the dismissal of head coach Sheldon Keefe, one of the longest-tenured bench bosses in the league now entering his fifth playoff run with the club. In terms of other executives that could get the axe, team president Brendan Shanahan has only one season left on his contract, according to Mirtle, and could be a candidate to be out of a job with new leadership in the Maple Leafs’ ownership group, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. After GM Brad Treliving was brought in only one summer ago, it seems unlikely he’d be relieved of his duties with such a small track record in the role for Toronto.
Other tidbits from the Atlantic Division:
- Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle remains out tonight against the Islanders, Patrick Friolet of RDS said. The young defenseman skated this morning as he rehabs an upper-body injury but is sitting out of his fourth straight contest. Guhle, 22, sustained the injury minutes into a clash with the Lightning one week ago and hasn’t played since. He’s now missed five of Montreal’s last seven games, also missing a March 30 contest against the Hurricanes while serving a one-game suspension for slashing Flyers winger Travis Konecny from the Habs bench. The sophomore blue-liner remains in a top-four role, averaging nearly 21 minutes per game. He’s amassed 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 70 games, a lower points per game pace than last year, but has logged improved possession metrics with a 44.4 CF% and 45.9 xGF% at even strength.
- Lightning goalie Jonas Johansson and defenseman Haydn Fleury still aren’t skating with the team and continue to be sidelined tonight against the Senators, per Chris Krenn of the team’s official site. Johansson hasn’t dressed in six straight due to a lower-body injury sustained outside of game action. He’s played sparingly behind starter Andrei Vasilevskiy after occupying the crease to begin the season with Vasy on the shelf, only making four starts since the beginning of February. The 28-year-old has made a career-high 24 starts and two relief appearances but has struggled despite his 12-7-5 record, logging a .890 SV% and 3.37 GAA while conceding 10.5 goals above average. Minor league call-up Matt Tomkins remains on the roster in his absence. Fleury, 27, hasn’t played since sustaining an undisclosed injury in a collision with referee Steve Kozari against the Penguins last Saturday that sent Kozari to the hospital. He’s logged 24 appearances for Tampa this season in a depth role, scoring five points with a +5 rating. With neither player on the ice for practice yet, they’re approaching doubtful territory for Game 1 of the playoffs.
Central Notes: Coyotes, Zuccarello, Gaudreau, Krug, Neighbours
A relocation to Salt Lake City for 2024-25 seems the overwhelmingly likely end to a years-long solution to the Coyotes’ long-term future in Arizona. Reporting yesterday indicated significant progress had been made between Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, the NHL, and prospective Salt Lake owner Smith Entertainment Group on an agreement to sell the club. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also told PHNX Sports that a move to Utah had a “90 to 95 percent chance” of going through.
What’s less certain is a timeline. Speaking on “Insider Trading” on Thursday, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said an official announcement coming immediately after the Coyotes’ season ends next week is “a little hopeful.” Out of the multiple reports that circulated yesterday, a few suggested the sale to SEG could be announced as soon as April 18. When the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg in 2011, the most recent instance of NHL relocation, the sale wasn’t made official until late May. However, LeBrun says that’s too far down a potential timeline. If the league hasn’t confirmed a move to Salt Lake before then, it’s likely not happening this offseason, and another season in Arizona at Tempe’s Mullett Arena is likely in store.
Other news and notes from the Central:
- Wild forwards Frédérick Gaudreau and Mats Zuccarello did not travel with the team on their West Coast road trip due to personal reasons and are both doubtful tomorrow against the Golden Knights, head coach John Hynes told Michael Russo of The Athletic. Considering there’s a possibility they may travel and join the team in Las Vegas tomorrow, it’s unlikely they’ll miss the entirety of Minnesota’s three-game road swing, their last of the season. Regardless of their availability, 2022 first-round pick Liam Öhgren will make his NHL debut, said Hynes, although it may impact where he plays in the lineup. He’s currently projected to occupy a third-line role at left wing alongside Marat Khusnutdinov and Vinni Lettieri. Gaudreau, 30, has struggled mightily in the first season of a five-year, $10.5MM extension, limited to five goals and 15 points in 65 games while posting a team-worst -21 rating. Meanwhile, Zuccarello is chugging along in his age-36 season, still sitting just south of point-per-game territory with 62 in 68 appearances.
- The Blues could be without defenseman Torey Krug and winger Jake Neighbours tomorrow against the Hurricanes due to upper-body injuries. Krug is listed as questionable, while Neighbours has already been ruled out, interim head coach Drew Bannister told Lou Korac of NHL.com and The Hockey News. The former has missed a couple of games recently, sitting out last weekend’s contest against the Sharks due to illness and missing a late-March contest against the Senators with a lower-body injury. He’s been hot lately when in the lineup, recording three points in his last three games. He’s got 39 in 77 appearances, tying last season for his worst points-per-game rate since 2015. It’s been a more successful campaign for the 22-year-old Neighbours, who’s broken out for 27 goals and 38 points in 77 games in his sophomore campaign.