East Notes: Greer, Stolarz, Quick
In a somewhat surprising development, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced it would have a phone hearing for Florida Panthers forward A.J. Greer for his hit against Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary.
Ultimately, it means that Greer won’t be given a suspension any longer than five games. On the play in question, Greer was assessed a two-minute minor for hooking, a five-minute major for interference, and a 10-minute game misconduct. Essentially, Greer hit Zary from behind into the boards, well before there was any expectation of incidental contact.
At the very least, it suggests that the NHL DoPS isn’t feeling any outside pressure to change the way they assess supplementary discipline. After Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas was suspended for five games for delivering a knee-to-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, who suffered a season-ending injury due to the incident, there was an outcry from fans and media for the DoPS to impose stricter discipline to prevent such situations in the future.
Other Eastern Conference notes:
- Netminder Anthony Stolarz did not make his scheduled start tonight because of an injury suffered in warm-ups. Before the game, the Maple Leafs announced that Stolarz was struck in the neck by a puck during warm-ups and was subsequently taken to a local hospital for further testing. Toronto has not provided any additional updates regarding Stolarz since.
- There is additional context regarding the New York Rangers’ recall of netminder Dylan Garand yesterday. According to Andrew Crane of the New York Post, veteran netminder Jonathan Quick is dealing with a minor upper-body ailment. Regardless, the expectation is that Garand will make his NHL debut while Quick is sidelined.
Rangers Sign Drew Fortescue To Entry-Level Contract
8:00 p.m.: PuckPedia shared Fortescue’s contract details, sharing that it would be a $923K cap hit and $950K AAV:
- 2025-26: $775K salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K performance bonus, $82.5K minors salary
- 2026-27: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $82.5K minors salary
- 2027-28: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus, $82.5K minors salary
6:00 p.m.: According to a team announcement, the New York Rangers have signed defensive prospect Drew Fortescue to a three-year, entry-level contract. Instead of joining the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack on an amateur tryout agreement to conclude the season, Fortescue will immediately report to the Rangers and burn the first year of his new contract.
Fortescue, 20, was drafted by the Rangers with the 90th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. The Pearl River, NY native spent his draft season and the year before with the United States National Team Development Program, where he scored three goals and 42 points in 113 games with a +34 rating split between their U17 and U18 clubs.
The year after being drafted by New York, Fortescue joined the Boston College Eagles to continue his development. He joined a loaded squad for his freshman campaign. During the 2023-24 season, the Eagles were led by Will Smith, Cutter Gauthier, Ryan Leonard, and teammate Gabriel Perreault.
Fortescue had a decent freshman season, scoring four goals and eight points with a +13 rating in 40 contests. Boston College made it all the way to the National Championship game before being shut out by the University of Denver. The Eagles haven’t made it to a Frozen Four since.
Still, Fortescue continues to improve his game, scoring four goals and 25 points in 72 games combining his sophomore and junior seasons, managing a +31 rating. He was solid for Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championships, accumulating one goal and four points in 14 games with a +12 rating with the U20 club.
As shown by his collegiate output, the Rangers shouldn’t expect Fortescue to come in and take the league by storm like Matthew Schaefer or Lane Hutson. Still, he is an extremely reliable defenseman on the breakout and brings a mature game in transition.
Putting it simply, Fortescue will unlikely be a player that you notice too much, but he won’t be a player you worry about much either. Given that New York has little to play for beyond pride to finish the 2025-26 campaign, Fortescue should receive a decent opportunity to test his mettle at the NHL level.
Vancouver Canucks Activate Pierre-Olivier Joseph
The Vancouver Canucks announced they’ve activated depth defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph from the team’s injured reserve. Without a corresponding roster move, Joseph’s activation brings the Canucks to seven defensemen on the active roster and 22 players in total.
Joseph, 26, has missed the last few weeks due to an upper-body injury. He last played on March 2nd against the Dallas Stars, when he suffered his upper-body ailment. Vancouver has largely maintained a roster of only six defensemen during that timespan.
As nice as it will be to have additional depth to conclude a rough 2025-26 campaign, Joseph is likely playing for his next contract with a new team more than he’s playing for the Canucks. A pending restricted free agent, Joseph is a strong non-tender candidate entering the summer, given that Vancouver will likely want an influx of youth as it continues its transitional period.
Even on a rebuilding club, Joseph has largely been treated as a seventh defenseman this season. Despite being relatively healthy, he’s only appeared in 24 games this season, scoring one goal and five points while averaging 13:18 of ice time per game.
Although he’s now eligible to play, Joseph didn’t draw into the lineup tonight against the St. Louis Blues, and it’s not altogether clear how the Canucks will utilize him to finish the season. He doesn’t offer Vancouver any direct improvements on anyone, and he’s not young enough to warrant taking time away from a prospect.
Atlantic Notes: Larkin, Sanderson, Rielly
The Detroit Red Wings have been without their captain, Dylan Larkin, for just over two weeks due to a leg injury suffered on March 6th. Fortunately for the Red Wings, Ansar Khan of MLive reported that Larkin is nearing a day-to-day status, meaning he should return relatively soon.
Larkin has missed Detroit’s last six games due to his leg injury. Although the team has gone 3-2-1 in that stretch, they’re entering crunch time for their postseason lives. Their upcoming schedule won’t give them any favors, with consecutive games against the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Red Wings would welcome a return at any time. Not only is Larkin the team’s top center by a significant margin, but he is the heart and soul of the team. Simply put, Detroit typically looks like a completely different team without Larkin. If he returns by the end of next week, the Red Wings will get a major boost as they look to string some wins together to close out the regular season.
Additional notes from the Atlantic Division:
- Another Atlantic Division team in the playoff hunt is the Ottawa Senators, who are also dealing with a significant injury to an important player. Like Larkin, defenseman Jake Sanderson has missed the last few weeks with the Senators, this time due to an upper-body injury. Similar to Detroit, Ottawa has played fine without Sanderson, but he objectively gives them a better chance to win each night. According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, Sanderson is expected to return by the end of March or early April.
- Staying in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that defenseman Morgan Rielly would miss today’s game due to a lower-body injury. It is believed that Rielly did not suffer the injury due to any direct play in Toronto’s recent game against the Carolina Hurricanes, but rather re-aggravated an issue from earlier in the season. The 13-year veteran has scored nine goals and 33 points in 67 games for the Maple Leafs this season, averaging 21:15 of ice time.
Canucks Sign Victor Mancini To Two-Year Extension
The Vancouver Canucks are getting more work done early with one of their pending restricted free agents. Vancouver announced that they’ve signed defenseman Victor Mancini to a two-year, $2MM extension.
It’s a fairly straightforward extension since Mancini wasn’t eligible for much of anything extra in his next deal. PuckPedia shared that the 23-year-old blueliner will earn a $905K salary during the 2026-27 season, and a $1.05MM salary in the 2027-28 campaign.
The Hancock, MI native is in his first full season with the Canucks since being acquired from the New York Rangers last year in the trade that sent J.T. Miller back to the Big Apple. He was drafted 159th overall by the Rangers in the 2022 NHL Draft and made his debut on October 9, 2024.
He got off to a solid start to his NHL career. By the end of October last season, Mancini had scored one goal and four points in eight games with a +4 rating, averaging 16:37 of ice time per game.
Unfortunately, not much has gone right since. In Mancini’s next 41 games, split between the Rangers and Canucks, he has scored one goal and four points with a -23 rating.
Still, that’s not the entire picture. Even in limited ice time, Mancini has managed a respectable 90.9% on-ice SV% at even strength. He has also performed well with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate this season, scoring four goals and 12 points in 33 games with the Abbotsford Canucks with a +1 rating.
Given the ongoing rebuild in Vancouver and the $1MM AAV on his new deal, it’s more than likely Mancini will open the 2026-27 campaign with the Canucks. This summer, Vancouver is expected to re-sign Derek Forbort or Pierre-Olivier Joseph, giving Mancini a pathway to the bottom-pairing unless the Canucks make another addition.
Stars Sign Dylan Hryckowian To Entry-Level Contract
The Dallas Stars may again have brothers on the same team next season. According to a team announcement, the Stars have signed Dylan Hryckowian to a two-year, entry-level contract. He’ll finish the year on an amateur tryout agreement with the AHL’s Texas Stars.
Dylan, of course, is the brother of Dallas forward Justin Hryckowian. The two last played together at Northeastern University throughout the 2023-24 season, when Justin was captain, and Dylan was in his freshman campaign.
They’ve had an eerily similar path to the NHL. Each of them played on the same teams in their youth, committed to and played at Northeastern, and signed with the Stars as undrafted free agents.
Even their production in the NCAA was similar as Dylan finished with 107 points in 100 games, and Justin finished with 101 points in 94 games. Each ended their tenure in college averaging 1.07 points per game.
Like Justin, Dylan should be able to carve out a role in the Stars’ bottom six if he makes the team next year or is called up at any point during the regular season. He has an extremely high motor, using his speed to beat opponents to the puck in all three zones.
Assuming his time in the AHL goes well to end the year, it wouldn’t be out of the question for the younger Hryckowian to make the team’s opening night roster. Given their salary cap table, the Stars need all the depth they can get their hands on, especially on the cheaper side of things.
Los Angeles Kings To Activate Joel Armia
Over the last few weeks, the Los Angeles Kings have climbed back into a postseason spot while dealing with multiple injuries to their forward corps. They’ll get some reinforcements for tomorrow.
Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period passed along a note from interim head coach of the Kings, D.J. Smith, saying that forward Joel Armia would return tomorrow against the Buffalo Sabres. Armia has been dealing with an upper-body injury for the last few weeks.
It’s certainly longer than Los Angeles expected Armia to miss. He was originally expected to miss a few days with the upper-body ailment. His last game played came on February 26th against the Edmonton Oilers.
While he won’t have as much impact as Kevin Fiala might have, Armia’s return to the lineup will still give the Kings more offensive firepower. He has played in 53 games this year, scoring 10 goals and accumulating 20 points.
Typically, at even strength, Armia plays on Los Angeles’ bottom two lines, while getting a few more minutes with special teams. He has been particularly solid on the penalty kill, tied for second in the league with four shorthanded goals on the year.
Additionally, he is responsible on the defensive side of the puck, which is imperative for a winger playing in the bottom six. Armia has managed a 92.2% on-ice SV% at even strength, making for one of the best outputs of his 12-year career.
Not only are the Kings back in a playoff spot, but they are projected to finish there based on points percentage. Including tonight, Los Angeles will play postseason or near-postseason-bound teams in five out of their remaining 14 games in the regular season, giving them a good opportunity to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs.
New York Rangers Recall Dylan Garand
According to a team announcement, the New York Rangers have recalled netminder Dylan Garand from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. The transaction will bring the Rangers’ roster to 25 players.
The decision is somewhat surprising at first glance. There have been no injuries reported regarding Igor Shesterkin or Jonathan Quick, giving the Rangers little need for a third netminder.
However, sitting in last place in the Atlantic Division, it’s becoming increasingly likely that Hartford will miss the Calder Cup playoffs this year. Given that the Rangers’ season is effectively over, it doesn’t hurt to give Garand more experience at the NHL level.
It’s the second time Garand has been recalled this year, with his first coming in late November. At the time of writing, Garand has yet to debut in the NHL.
Regardless, he’s spent his entire four-year professional career playing for the Wolf Pack. He’s generally been reliable, managing a 65-57-19 record in 148 games with a .901 SV% and 2.90 GAA.
Unfortunately, like many of his teammates, Garand’s performance has trailed off this year. In 36 games, he has a 16-15-2 record with a .896 SV% and 2.83 GAA.
At any rate, given the Rangers’ position in the standings, it may be a good time to get Garand into a game or two. New York doesn’t have a firm commitment from Quick that he’ll want to return for a 20th season, so the Rangers have the opportunity to give an early tryout for next season to their third-string netminder.
Islanders Sign Cole Eiserman To Entry-Level Deal
March 18: The Islanders officially announced Eiserman has signed his entry-level deal, which begins next season. He’ll finish out the year with Bridgeport on a tryout as expected.
March 17: After signing one of their best non-NHL affiliate prospects earlier today, it doesn’t appear the New York Islanders are finished yet. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Islanders are finalizing a contract with forward prospect Cole Eiserman.
If and when Eiserman puts pen to paper on his entry-level contract, Pagnotta expects that he’ll begin his professional career with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. Unfortunately, despite his offensive potential, New York doesn’t have much room for him on the NHL roster at this point.
Still, that is expected to change as early as next season. It would be surprising to see the Islanders fail to extend captain Anders Lee before July 1, but they are actively looking to trade Anthony Duclair, which would open up a roster spot for Eiserman this summer.
As one of the best pure goal-scorers from the 2024 NHL Draft class, Eiserman has continued to do just that at the collegiate level. Across two years with the Boston University Terriers, Eiserman scored 43 goals and 21 assists in 71 games. He took a step back in terms of his production this season, but he was far from the only one to do so in the Terriers program.
He’s also been a proficient player at the international level. During the U20 IIHF World Junior Championships, Eiserman scored five goals and 10 points in 12 games, helping Team USA to a Gold medal finish in the 2024-25 tournament.
In Bridgeport, the Islanders will want to make sure Eiserman plays next to an established playmaker. He has one of the heaviest shots and quickest releases for his age, but he doesn’t appear to have the level to his game to drive an entire line. There were some serious question marks surrounding his play on the defensive side of the puck entering the 2024 NHL Draft, and New York will want to make sure he continues to grow on that side of the game.
Penguins Want To Keep Erik Karlsson, Anthony Mantha
At the beginning of the 2025-26 season, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Pittsburgh Penguins would trade Erik Karlsson and use Anthony Mantha as a half-year rental before dishing him at the trade deadline. Now, according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, the Penguins want both players on their opening night roster for the 2026-27 campaign, if not longer.
Before this season, Karlsson looked like a shell of himself, far removed from the Norris Trophy campaign during the 2022-23 season with the San Jose Sharks. From 2023 to 2025, Karlsson scored 22 goals and 109 points in 164 games with a -20 rating, averaging 23:45 of ice time per game. Additionally, his 87.2% on-ice SV% at even strength last season was the worst of his career.
Although that’s typically respectable production from a puck-moving defenseman in his mid-30s, it didn’t justify his $11.5MM salary, $1.5MM of which was being paid by the Sharks. It was particularly his drop-off defensively that had the writing on the wall in Pittsburgh.
However, under head coach Dan Muse, Karlsson has found new life. He’ll finish with similar point totals this year, but he’s been much more responsible in the defensive zone. His 53.8% CorsiFor% at even strength is the best he’s had since he was 28, and his 89.7% oiSV% at even strength is right on line with his career average.
According to Yohe, instead of trading Karlsson this offseason, the Penguins may look to extend him for a few more years. It would be an interesting gamble, given that Karlsson will be 37 for his next contract. However, if he maintains his production level and assumes a significantly lower salary, it might not be a bad idea.
Meanwhile, Mantha has made the most of his one-year, $2.5MM prove-it deal in Pittsburgh. After losing much of the 2024-25 season due to an ACL injury, Mantha has rebounded in a big way, scoring 26 goals and 52 points in 67 games for the Penguins.
Furthermore, as Yohe points out, Mantha is only 31, meaning he’s not necessarily old by NHL standards. It’s unlikely that the Penguins will engage in a bidding war if Mantha makes it to the open market this summer, but a four-year deal shouldn’t be out of the question given how he’s played this season.
Regardless, as much as the influx of youth has benefited Pittsburgh this season, its top five scorers are in their 30s. They’re a primary reason that the Penguins are poised for a postseason run for the first time since the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.