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Wild Acquire Oskar Olausson

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The Wild announced a trade sending defenseman Kyle Masters to the Sharks for winger Oskar Olausson. Both players were previously in the minors and will now report to their new clubs’ affiliates.

Olausson’s stay in the San Jose organization was a very brief one. The Swedish winger, who turns 23 next month, was a first-round pick by the Avalanche in 2021. After failing to land an NHL job with Colorado and taking a significant step back in the minors last year, the Avs traded Olausson to the Sharks in exchange for the signing rights to Daniil Gushchin. Olausson was waived and assigned to AHL San Jose out of camp, but had yet to play for the Barracuda this season, so he leaves the Bay Area without recording a single appearance in the organization.

It’s a swing on upside by the Wild and a prudent pickup for the cost. While Olausson only has four NHL games to his name, going without a point and averaging just 8:07 per game, there’s no long-term obligation in the pickup as they can non-tender him at the end of the season. At minimum, they’re adding some offensive depth to an Iowa club that hasn’t fared all too well in the past few years, which could, while unlikely, turn into an NHL piece down the line. Even though Olausson hasn’t developed as hoped so far, he’s still young enough to have a decent chance at a turnaround.

The 6’2″ Olausson looked like he was on the upswing as recently as the 2023-24 season. Injuries limited him to 39 appearances with AHL Colorado that year, but he managed an 11-9–20 scoring line after producing the same output in 63 games the year prior. That momentum didn’t continue into 2024-25, though. Olausson wasn’t even a top-10 scorer on the team last year and finished the campaign with an 11-15–26 scoring line in 61 appearances – not production you want to see from someone touted as a scoring winger.

While Minnesota could have had Olausson on the waiver wire for free a few weeks ago, that would have required keeping him on their NHL roster, something they’re not keen to do. They also don’t take on an additional contract by parting ways with Masters, a 2021 fourth-round pick who’s still at the ECHL level as he begins his third professional season. The 6’0″ righty has split the last two years between AHL and ECHL Iowa. He has a 1-5–6 scoring line with an even rating in 35 career AHL games and a 9-23–32 line in 59 ECHL games with a -7 rating.

For San Jose, giving Olausson up is a matter of creating more playing time in the AHL for the names they’ve drafted and continue to develop, like Ethan Cardwell, Cameron Lund, and Quentin Musty. Masters will now report to their ECHL affiliate in Wichita.

Lightning Recall Steven Santini

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The Lightning announced that they have recalled right-shot defender Steven Santini from AHL Syracuse. With an open roster spot and space in their LTIR pool, they don’t need to make a corresponding move. He comes up following yesterday’s news that fellow rearguard Maxwell Crozier is out for at least the next two games, potentially longer, with an undisclosed injury.

Santini first joined Tampa Bay’s organization as a two-way signing ahead of the 2024-25 season, and he made one appearance for the club last year in December, logging a shot, hit, and two blocks in 11:37 of ice time. He signed a two-year, two-way extension in June to remain with the club through 2026-27. He cleared waivers during the preseason and has one assist in two games in Syracuse’s young season, serving as an alternate captain for the club for the second year in a row.

The 30-year-old Santini was a second-round pick by the Devils back in 2013. He has 124 total games of NHL experience, most of which came in a New Jersey uniform early in his pro career. He made 30-plus appearances in three straight years from 2016-19 but has made just 10 NHL appearances since the beginning of the 2019-20 season. He made stops in the Predators, Blues, and Kings organizations between his departure from Jersey and his arrival in Tampa. The 6’3″, 214-lb righty has a 5-18–23 scoring line in those 124 games with a -8 rating, averaging 17:10 per game with a subpar CF% of 42.1 at even strength.

A defensive specialist, he’ll slot in as a fine healthy extra with Crozier out for the time being. He isn’t expected to draw in tonight against the Red Wings; that will be Darren Raddysh after sitting as a healthy scratch for the Bolts’ last two games. Raddysh had a goal and two assists in Tampa’s first two games of the year alongside Victor Hedman, but was relegated to the press box once J.J. Moser was eligible to return from suspension.

Santini can remain on Tampa’s roster for up to 30 nonconsecutive days until he needs to clear waivers again to head back to Syracuse.

Rangers Reassign Connor Mackey

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The Rangers announced that defenseman Connor Mackey was assigned to AHL Hartford. They’re left with an open roster spot for now.

There are multiple potential motivations for the demotion. Mackey was recalled last weekend to serve as a healthy extra in conjunction with Carson Soucy landing on injured reserve. Soucy is eligible to come off IR tomorrow after sustaining his upper-body injury last Saturday, Oct. 11. He hasn’t skated since then, though, so a return this weekend seems unlikely. The Blueshirts were also carrying eight defensemen on the active roster entering today. They recalled top prospect Scott Morrow on Wednesday amid an injury concern for William Borgen, but Borgen ended up being able to go for yesterday’s overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.

Hartford is also light on its blue line, with the Mackey and Morrow recalls leaving them with just three NHL-contracted defensemen on their roster. Sending Mackey back gives them a fourth and a stable veteran presence as their schedule ramps up.

Notably, the waiver-exempt Morrow stays up for now. That could change when Soucy is ready to return, but reassigning Mackey over Morrow indicates the Rangers may look to get the latter into his season debut sooner rather than later. They’re still ironing out some question marks on their blue line. It’s hard to justify taking rookie Matthew Robertson out of the lineup – after starting the year as New York’s No. 7, he’s been elevated into top-four duties with Borgen with Soucy out. That pairing has dominated to the tune of a 70.4 xGF% and 53.5 CF% at 5v5, per MoneyPuck. While dressing Morrow would give them four righties and two lefties, they may be mulling a benching for Urho Vaakanainen, who’s been a non-factor on the scoresheet through six games.

Mackey, 29, is in his third season with the organization. This recall didn’t result in any playing time, but he did log one appearance for the Blueshirts in 2023-24 and two in 2024-25. The 6’3″ lefty is a pending UFA on a two-way deal and has recorded an 8-27–35 scoring line with a +12 rating in 111 games for Hartford over the past three years.

Mackey does not need waivers for today’s demotion because he’s played fewer than 10 NHL games and spent less than 30 days on the active roster since he last cleared them. This recall lasted five days, so he’s got 25 left on his clock before he needs to hit the wire again to return to Hartford.

Capitals Recall Ethen Frank

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The Capitals have announced the recall of winger Ethen Frank from AHL Hershey. Frank will likely be Washington’s scratch at forward for its game against the Wild tonight, but will be on hand to enter the lineup in case of a last-minute injury. Since a roster spot opened up yesterday when Vincent Iorio was claimed off waivers by the Sharks, no corresponding transaction is required.

Frank, 27, returns to Washington’s NHL roster after making his big league debut last season. Undrafted, Frank has worked his way up the depth chart from AHL signing to reliable call-up option in just a few years. He made his pro debut for Hershey late in the 2021-22 season after a five-year run at Western Michigan and ended up signing his first NHL contract late the following season.

Over 163 career games in the minors, Frank has 82 goals, 45 assists, and 127 points. He’s led Hershey in goals twice, including netting 30 as a rookie, and has been named to the AHL All-Star Classic in all three of his full-time pro seasons. After recording a 4-3–7 scoring line in 24 NHL appearances last year, he was expected to get a long look at a top-nine role in training camp, but was boxed out by rookie Ryan Leonard, 2020 first-rounder Hendrix Lapierre, and returning vet Sonny Milano, who spent most of 2024-25 sidelined with a concussion. He was waived at the end of training camp and, despite fears he would be claimed due to his strong minor-league track record, went unclaimed and was assigned to Hershey.

Frank already has two goals through two games for Hershey this year. He’ll be one of Washington’s preferred call-up options throughout the year, but they’ll be careful with his waiver status. He has a 10-game, 30-day clock on the active roster until he needs to pass through them again to return to the minors.

He’s coming up today to ensure the Caps keep an extra healthy forward around. They’re still without Pierre-Luc Dubois, who’s day-to-day with a lower-body issue and will miss his second straight game tonight. He practiced today, but with a non-contact designation, according to The Hockey News.

Canucks Activate Pierre-Olivier Joseph

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The Canucks announced that they’ve reinstated defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph from injured reserve. They had an open roster spot after placing Derek Forbort on IR yesterday, so no corresponding transaction is required.

Joseph will be available for tonight’s game against the Stars after sitting out all three games this season with an undisclosed injury. He landed on IR to open the season after an issue arose late in camp, so he hasn’t played since the beginning of the month. He returned to practice in a non-contact jersey on Tuesday, so he’s had a few days of ramp-up.

The 26-year-old lefty will be making his Canucks debut if he enters the lineup tonight, but based on this morning’s line rushes, he’s expected to be a healthy scratch, per Dan Murphy of Sportsnet. He inked a one-year, league-minimum deal with the club in free agency after being non-tendered by the Penguins.

A first-round pick by the Coyotes back in 2017, Joseph is still looking to re-establish himself as an everyday defender. Acquired from Arizona by Pittsburgh in the 2019 Phil Kessel deal, Joseph first broke out as an NHL option in the 2022-23 season, when he made 75 appearances for the Pens and posted five goals and 21 points with a +8 rating. That was good enough to give him a few fringe Calder Trophy votes, but since then, he hasn’t been able to recapture that level of two-way performance.

Joseph only made 52 appearances for Pittsburgh the following year before being non-tendered for the first time. He signed with the Blues on a one-year deal worth $950K for 2024-25, but had two points and a -7 rating in 23 games before they traded him back to the Penguins. His stat line to finish out the year was even more underwhelming – just one assist and a -15 rating in 24 games for a performance that showed out well below replacement value.

He reunites with president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford in Vancouver, who was the GM of the Penguins when they initially acquired him six years ago. He’ll start by slotting in as the Canucks’ No. 7 while Elias N. Pettersson and Victor Mancini cover bottom-pairing duties for now with Forbort out. Still, he might get a look in the lineup if the “other” Elias continues to struggle as he has through the first three games. He’s been held without a point, is averaging 13:36 per game, and has been caved in for a 34.8 CF% and 32.4 xGF% at even strength.

Sabres Reassign Ryan Johnson, Recall Zach Metsa

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4:55 p.m.: The team later announced that defenseman Zach Metsa, not a forward, is the corresponding recall. It’s now clear that Johnson’s demotion was made purely with the intent of getting him more ice time in Rochester. If Metsa plays, it’ll be his NHL debut. The 5’9″ righty has worked his way up Buffalo’s depth chart since signing there as a free agent in 2023, fresh off captaining Quinnipiac to a national championship. The Wisconsin native broke out to lead Rochester’s defense in scoring last season, finishing third on the team overall with a 7-39–46 line in 69 games.

3:55 p.m.: The Sabres have assigned defenseman Ryan Johnson to AHL Rochester, according to the league’s transactions log. They haven’t made a corresponding transaction yet, but they could be sending the waiver-exempt rearguard down to open space for a forward recall after Justin Danforth left last night’s win over the Senators with a lower-body injury.

Johnson, a first-round pick in 2019, cracked the Sabres out of camp this year for the first time since signing out of college in 2023. He’s been used sparingly, though. He’s suited up in three of Buffalo’s four contests but has averaged just nine minutes of ice time per game, including a career-low 5:12 against Ottawa yesterday. In those minutes, he’s yet to record a point, has an even rating, and has registered four shot attempts with three blocks and two hits. He’s been on the ice for one goal against at even strength and only controlled 40.7% of shot attempts.

The 24-year-old’s development has hit the back burner after what was initially a smooth transition to pro hockey. He made 41 appearances for the Sabres as a rookie in 2023-24, managing a +3 rating with promising possession metrics (52.7 CF%, 52.9 xGF%) in bottom-pairing duties. He only registered eight hits, but the 6’1″ lefty looked on track to be the defensively responsible piece Buffalo drafted him to be and a potential long-term No. 3 on their left side behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.

It’s been tough sledding for the California native since then, though. This summer, he signed a three-year deal as a restricted free agent that will only pay him the league minimum NHL salary each season. It starts as a two-way deal this year, paying him $350K in the minors, before becoming a one-way pact for 2026-27 and 2027-28. He had a fine showing in Rochester last year, only recording a 2-11–13 scoring line in 66 games but finishing sixth on the team with a +13 rating.

He’ll now look to get more wide-open minutes in Rochester before getting his next look with the Sabres on the NHL roster. Buffalo is now only carrying six defensemen, including Mattias Samuelsson, who’s missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury but never landed on IR. Johnson’s demotion implies Samuelsson should be good to go for Saturday against the Panthers but the Sabres also have enforcer Mason Geertsen available, who’s mainly a forward but has dressed on defense in the past.

Brady Tkachuk Out 6-7 Weeks Following Hand Surgery

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Oct. 16: Tkachuk underwent surgery to repair a ligament issue in his right hand in New York today, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports. The procedure extends his return timeline to six to seven weeks and, with the clock resetting to today, won’t be back in the lineup until Thanksgiving at the earliest. That’s a 20-game minimum absence, including last night’s loss to the Sabres.

Oct. 14: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk will miss at least four weeks due to the right wrist injury he sustained in yesterday’s game against the Predators, head coach Travis Green said (via Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia). They’ve yet to decide on whether surgery is required. If so, his return timeline will be extended.

Tkachuk sustained the injury early in the game. While on the power play, he took a cross-check from Nashville captain Roman Josi near the goal line that carried enough force to cause Tkachuk to fall forward into the boards, bending his right wrist awkwardly in the process. He didn’t immediately leave the game but ended up taking his last shift midway through the third period. Green said immediately after the match that Tkachuk was going for evaluation and that his absence wasn’t precautionary.

This will stand as Tkachuk’s largest absence to date. While he’s missed games due to injury in four of his seven full NHL seasons, none of them were serious enough to warrant lengthy recovery times. The most time he ever missed was nine games due to a leg injury early in his rookie season. His four-week minimum means his earliest return is Nov. 11 against the Stars, meaning at least a 13-game absence for the star winger.

Thankfully for Ottawa, they have a relatively easy stretch of games ahead. Only three of those 13 contests are against teams that made the playoffs last season. They’ve gotten off to a tough start, though, especially defensively. They’re 1-2-0 through their first three contests and have yet to give up fewer than four goals, averaging a 4.67 GA/GP mark that ranks 31st in the league. While their 26.0 shots against per game figure is sixth-best in the NHL, their 64.3% success rate on the penalty kill – fifth-worst in the league – hasn’t helped matters. Linus Ullmark has also allowed a league-worst 5.4 goals above expected in his three starts, per MoneyPuck. Tkachuk doesn’t factor in shorthanded, so in that sense, his absence won’t mean much as Ottawa looks to address its biggest early-season weaknesses.

His missing offense and intangibles will, though. Tkachuk had three assists and a +1 rating through his first three outings and, although his 29-26–55 scoring line in 72 games last year was underwhelming by his standards, he received Hart Trophy consideration for the first time as he captained Ottawa to its first playoff berth since 2017. Despite missing a good portion of yesterday’s contest, he still ranks third on the team so far with 10 hits, is tied for the team lead with 21 shot attempts, and has controlled possession well with a 56.5 CF% at even strength.

Now, it’ll be mid-November until he’s consistently in the mix this season. The Senators can place him on injured reserve whenever they need a roster spot. That will likely come in conjunction with activating Drake Batherson, who is expected to come off IR before tomorrow’s game, according to Garrioch. Tkachuk is eligible for long-term injured reserve as well and can yield up to $3.82MM in cap relief, but with the Sens already banking over $2.45MM in space, that won’t be necessary, at least for now.

Luckily for the Sens, they don’t have any mounting injuries behind their leader. They have all available options, including Batherson, to elevate into top-line duties alongside Tim Stützle and Fabian Zetterlund in his absence.

Predators Reassign Joakim Kemell

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The Predators announced that they’ve assigned winger Joakim Kemell to AHL Milwaukee. They now carry an open roster spot into tonight’s game against the Canadiens, although it doesn’t appear they plan on filling it for now.

It’s a prudent move to get their 2022 first-round choice some playing time. Kemell cracked Nashville’s opening night roster for the first time this year but has been in and out of the lineup, sitting as a healthy scratch twice through their first four games. He didn’t record a point in either of his outings and averaged 11:04 of ice time per game, but did manage five shot attempts and four hits. Nashville did lose the possession battle with Kemell on the ice at even strength, logging a 45.5 CF%, but that’s not bad considering it’s better than how the team fared without him and he started two-thirds of his shifts in the defensive end.

If they weren’t going to be consistently using him, though, it does very little for his development to sit in the Preds’ press box. The 17th overall pick three years ago is kicking off the second year of his entry-level contract and has done well in AHL minutes so far, although the Preds would like to see him flirt more with the point-per-game threshold in the minors. He has a 41-53–94 scoring line in 146 appearances for Milwaukee since arriving there late in the 2022-23 campaign from his native Finland.

While the Preds leaned into a youth movement with their initial roster submission, they haven’t embraced it in their lineup construction so far. This year’s No. 5 overall pick, Brady Martin, got a brief look on the top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly but, like Kemell, has averaged under 12 minutes per game and has been a healthy scratch twice. 23-year-old Ozzy Wiesblatt was a healthy scratch for three straight to begin the year but had two assists in 9:30 of ice time in his season debut against Toronto earlier this week. Even 22-year-old Fedor Svechkov, technically the Preds’ second-line center, has had his minutes relatively limited for his role at 13:02 per game.

That doesn’t necessarily bode well for Kemell’s chances for a recall later in the season, but he’ll look to force their hand anyway with a strong minor-league performance. His power-play performance in the AHL could be something to watch. The Preds are just 1-for-17 to begin the season with the man advantage.

Wild Reassign David Jiricek

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The Wild have reassigned David Jiricek to AHL Iowa, according to a team announcement. There’s no corresponding transaction yet for the roster spot that their No. 2 prospect is vacating.

Today marks a week since opening night for the Wild, which was Jiricek’s only appearance out of the club’s first four games. That’s despite the 21-year-old having a strong showing in what was his first outing for the club since January of last season. He only saw 14 minutes of ice time and didn’t record a point, but had a +3 rating in their 5-0 win over the Blues. He won his minutes possession-wise with a 53.3 CF% at even strength.

Then, Jonas Brodin returned to the lineup after missing the first game while recovering from offseason upper-body surgery. That pushed Jiricek out of the picture, with Minnesota opting for a more veteran lineup on the right side of their defense, with Zach Bogosian slotting in behind top-four staples Brock Faber and Jared Spurgeon. It’s hard at the moment for head coach John Hynes to justify scratching Bogosian to get Jiricek another look. The 35-year-old has also done well in his limited minutes, recording a +3 rating with seven blocks and four hits in four appearances while averaging 14:19 per game. He’s trusted on the penalty kill and has yet to be on the ice for a goal against at even strength.

Minnesota wants its promising young righty playing, and that isn’t happening on the NHL roster right now. As such, they’ll take advantage of his continued waiver-exempt status and return to Iowa, where he spent most of last season after the Wild acquired him from the Blue Jackets in November. The only player Minnesota surrendered in that deal, Daemon Hunt, is now back with the organization after being claimed off waivers from Columbus and will serve as their lone healthy extra for the time being, with Jiricek down.

It’s an inauspicious sign amid a tough couple of years for the 2022 No. 6 overall pick. After the former AHL All-Star looked like he was on the verge of capturing a regular role with Columbus after making 43 appearances for them in 2023-24, he was a frequent scratch to begin last season, leading to his trade out of town. Yet even amid mounting injuries on the Wild’s blue line last year, Jiricek, included in those troubles amid a ruptured spleen, didn’t get much of a chance and only made six NHL appearances after the swap. In 27 appearances with Iowa, he only mustered seven assists and a -1 rating.

He’ll be destined for as many minutes as he can handle now in the minors as he looks to get consistent playing time and fuel some long-awaited forward progress in his development. For now, Minnesota will be operating with an open roster spot to fill as necessary if more injuries pop up.

Jets Reassign Kale Clague

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The Jets announced they’ve reassigned defenseman Kale Clague to AHL Manitoba. He doesn’t need waivers because he’s been on the Jets’ active roster for fewer than 30 days since last clearing them, which happened back on Oct. 2.

Clague, 27, was up with Winnipeg for just one game and didn’t draw into the lineup. He came up earlier in the week after fellow rearguard Haydn Fleury took a shot off the kneecap and was rendered unavailable for Monday’s game against the Islanders. Fleury’s absence is already behind him, though, as the team’s Mitchell Clinton reflects he’s expected back in third-pairing duties with Luke Schenn tonight against the Flyers.

Winnipeg is Clague’s fourth NHL organization. He was a second-round pick by the Kings back in 2016. After failing to advance past a fringe NHL role with the club, he was claimed off waivers by the Canadiens during the 2021-22 season. He finished out the year before being non-tendered by Montreal and signing with the Sabres in free agency. Clague went on to sign three straight one-year, two-way deals with the Sabres before reaching unrestricted free agency last summer. He was a Day 2 signing by the Jets, who matched his two most recent deals with Buffalo that carried a league-minimum NHL salary and a $475K AHL salary.

The 6’0″ lefty has 94 games of NHL experience and will continue to be one of the Jets’ primary recall options in case of short-term injuries like Fleury’s. The Regina, Saskatchewan native had a career high of 39 points in 69 games with AHL Rochester last year. He was held without a point and had an even rating in his Manitoba debut last week before getting recalled.

With Clague down, Winnipeg has an open roster spot. They started the year with 14 forwards and seven defensemen, but went to 13 and eight with Fleury’s short-term absence, sending Brad Lambert down earlier this week to accommodate Clague’s recall. None of their players on injured reserve – Adam Lowry, Cole Perfetti, or Dylan Samberg – are close to a return. It’s unclear if they plan to operate with an open spot for a while or if they’ll bring someone else up from the minors in the coming days.

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