Evening Notes: Mammoth, Suter, Carlson, Ellis
Even though it’ll take until the last game of the regular season to determine who they’ll face in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Utah Mammoth have a few unfortunate confirmations already. According to Cole Bagley of KSL Sports, forwards Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain are still a few weeks away from returning.
Hayton has been dealing with an upper-body injury since March 26th, whereas McBain has only been out a little over a week with a lower-body injury. Regardless, depending on how many weeks it takes, both Hayton and McBain may miss the opening round of the playoffs for the Mammoth.
Although each player is a respectable tertiary scorer for Utah, the team’s center depth, particularly on the bottom two lines, will be tested. Additionally, the Mammoth will significantly miss McBain’s physicality, especially in a postseason environment. The 6’4″, 219 lbs center leads Utah in hits this season with 271.
Additional evening notes:
- Eligible for an extension or potentially a trade this summer, St. Louis Blues forward Pius Suter is preparing early. According to PuckPedia, Suter has changed his representation to Judd Moldaver. Moldaver represents some of the sport’s top athletes, such as Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, and Zach Werenski.
- As mentioned in a previous article, conditional draft picks included in trades will finalize now that every potential team has qualified for a postseason spot. Now that the Anaheim Ducks have qualified for the playoffs, the Washington Capitals will acquire Anaheim’s 2026 first-round pick from the John Carlson trade, instead of Anaheim having an option for this year’s or next (via PuckPedia).
- Additionally, the San Jose Sharks will receive elevated draft compensation, too (via PuckPedia). In the Ryan Ellis contract dump earlier this year between the Sharks and the Philadelphia Flyers, the Flyers allowed the Sharks to receive the better of their 2026 sixth-round pick or Columbus’ 2026 sixth-round pick. Since the Flyers qualified for the playoffs, San Jose will receive Columbus’ sixth-round selection in the upcoming draft (via PuckPedia).
Islanders Notes: Lee, George, Pulock
If New York Islanders captain Anders Lee had his way, he wouldn’t be playing anywhere else next season or beyond. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, Lee would like to sign an extension with the Isles sometime before July 1st.
In the report, Rosner quoted Lee saying, “It’s where I’ve played my entire career. It’s where I’ve put my best foot forward as much as I can. I didn’t take anything for granted. I just want to have another good night tonight with the team and this group. And let’s close this out with two points.”
Even though it surely won’t be at his current $7MM price tag, there should be plenty of mutual interest from the Islanders. Lee has been New York’s captain since the 2018-19 campaign, and has remained productive in the waning years of his career, scoring 48 goals and 96 points in 163 games over the past two seasons.
Additional notes from the Islanders:
- Despite finishing the year on the Islanders’ roster, defenseman Isaiah George expects to play for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders in the Calder Cup playoffs, according to Ethan Sears of the New York Post. The smooth-skating blueliner has almost exclusively played for AHL Bridgeport this season, scoring two goals and 17 points in 45 games with a +10 rating.
- One defenseman who wasn’t available for New York’s final game of the regular season is Ryan Pulock. Earlier today, the Islanders announced that Pulock has been battling multiple injuries and has been held out, as there is no real reason to play him. The 31-year-old defenseman will finish the 2025-26 season with three goals and 27 points in 76 games with a +9 rating, averaging 20:49 of ice time per game.
Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Hovorka, Laughton, Viel
The Ottawa Senators have been without their captain, Brady Tkachuk, for the last few games of their regular season. Fortunately, his absence isn’t expected to creep into the playoffs, as TSN’s Bruce Garrioch reported that Tkachuk is “good to go” for the postseason.
The injury keeping Tkachuk is one of the weirder ones this season. In Ottawa’s recent game against the New York Islanders, Tkachuk was bumped by Islanders’ defenseman Ryan Pulock, causing Tkachuk to return to the bench while wobbling. In recent updates, Tkachuk clarified that his dizziness was unrelated to Pulock and resulted from a prior hit in the game. As of now, he has been cleared of all concussion symptoms.
Regardless, it’s big news for the Senators who are looking to pull off an upset in their opening-round matchup. The heart and soul of the team, Tkachuk has been irreplaceable for Ottawa, scoring 22 goals and 59 points in 60 games, while leveling 162 hits. Despite missing a decent chunk of the season due to injury, Tkachuk remains third on the team in scoring and is likely to finish there.
Additional notes from the Atlantic Division:
- According to George Richards of Florida Hockey Now, the Florida Panthers have recalled defenseman Mikulas Hovorka for their final game of the regular season tomorrow night. The 24-year-old blueliner has seen his name on the transaction report a few times this past month, allowing him to skate in three games for the Panthers. Still, the Praha, Czechia native remains looking for his first NHL point, and he’ll seek to change that tomorrow evening against the Detroit Red Wings.
- With the postseason pool finalized, the impact of conditional draft picks traded this season is now clear. According to PuckPedia, now that the Los Angeles Kings have qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs will receive Buffalo’s 2026 second-round pick in the Scott Laughton trade.
- The Maple Leafs aren’t the only team in the Atlantic Division to reap the benefits of another team making the postseason. Since the Philadelphia Flyers made the playoffs, the Boston Bruins will receive the Red Wings’ 2026 fourth-round pick from the Anaheim Ducks in the trade that sent Jeffrey Viel to Orange County a few months ago (via PuckPedia).
Kraken Recall Jani Nyman; Reassign Two
The Seattle Kraken are making a slight change to their forward corps with two games remaining in the regular season. The Kraken announced that they’ve recalled forward Jani Nyman from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds and reassigned Jacob Melanson and Oscar Fisker Molgaard in a corresponding roster move.
Nyman has already spent a decent chunk of the season in Seattle. The 21-year-old was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Kraken and has spent the last two years playing in the organization.
He’s been fairly engaged during his appearances this season. Nyman has registered four goals and six points in 26 games with 22 hits, averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time per game. Additionally, his possession and defensive metrics rank well on the team. However, it’s important to note that Seattle is currently one of the league’s poorest teams in controlling shot attempts at even strength this season.
Still, despite his less-than-ideal scoring output in the NHL so far, there is plenty of hope that Nyman will become a consistent contributor in the near future. He’s been one of the Firebirds’ best forwards the past two years, scoring 49 goals and 77 points in 96 games with a +22 rating.
Meanwhile, unlike Nyman, Melanson has played more games with the Kraken this year than the Firebirds. Still, he has almost exclusively been a fourth-line player with Seattle, scoring two goals and five points in 36 games, averaging 9:22 of ice time. He’s understandably performed better in the AHL, albeit in fewer games, registering seven goals and 16 points in 26 games this season.
Lastly, Fisker Molgaard has spent most of the year in the AHL, where he has performed quite well. In 46 games, the 21-year-old has scored 10 goals and 32 points, good for seventh on the team in scoring in his first professional season.
Nashville Predators Sign Daniel Nieminen
4:45 p.m.: A short while after Nashville’s announcement, the team over at PuckPedia released the financial details of Nieminen’s entry-level deal:
| Year | NHL Salary | Signing bonus | Potential performance bonuses | Minors salary |
| 2026-27 | $850K | $75K | NA | $70K |
| 2027-28 | $900K | $75K | NA | $70K |
| 2028-29 | $950K | $75K | NA | $70K |
3:21 p.m.: The Nashville Predators have put pen to paper on one of their draft selections from last summer. The Predators have announced the signing of defenseman Daniel Nieminen to a three-year, entry-level contract that will begin next season.
Nieminen, 20, was selected with the 163rd overall (sixth round) pick of the 2025 NHL Draft by Nashville. He was coming off a season almost exclusively with the Finnish Liiga’s Pelicans, registering four goals and 11 points in 39 games with a -1 rating. Additionally, he played for Team Finland in the U20 IIHF World Junior Championships, scoring two assists in seven games with a +2 rating.
This season with the Pelicans went much better for Nieminen on both sides of the puck. The Lahti, Finland native finished the year with five goals and 17 points in 47 games with a +3 rating. Unfortunately, his production at the World Junior Championships slipped, as he went scoreless throughout the tournament.
Odds are, Nieminen will begin the 2026-27 campaign with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Although he’s unlikely to challenge for any rookie-scoring leads, Nieminen already has the skating ability for professional hockey in North America. He’s managed terrific gap coverage in Finland and has the straight-line foot speed to close gaps on the rare occasion he finds himself out of position.
Still, unless the Predators trade multiple defensemen this summer, or have an unexpected number of injuries during preseason play, Nieminen doesn’t have a clear path to the NHL, at least for the time being. Nashville already has four left-handed defensemen signed through next season, and that’s without including top prospect Tanner Molendyk, who will undoubtedly challenge for an opening night roster spot.
Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Dennis Hildeby
The revolving door of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ backup goaltender continues, with Anthony Stolarz done for the season with a lower-body injury. The Maple Leafs announced that they’ve reassigned netminder Artur Akhtyamov to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and recalled Dennis Hildeby in his place.
Because of the numerous injuries to Stolarz this season, Hildeby, 24, has spent quite a bit of time with the Maple Leafs. Throughout his three years playing in the organization, the 2025-26 season has provided Hildeby with the most opportunities at the NHL level.
For the most part, he’s played particularly well in those appearances. Hildeby has managed a 5-6-4 record in 19 games this season with a .910 SV%, 2.90 GAA, and 7.3 Goals Saved Above Average (according to HockeyReference).
For one reason or another, that stability with the Maple Leafs hasn’t translated to his time with the Marlies. In 22 AHL games this year, Hildeby has a 9-8-8 record with a .896 SV% and 2.70 GAA.
Still, his performance this season makes Hildeby an obvious trade candidate this offseason. Yes, this year has proven that Toronto needs an experienced third-string option given Stolarz’s injury troubles. However, given that they signed Akhtyamov to a three-year extension last month, that leaves Hildeby in a difficult spot.
Meanwhile, Akhtyamov, 24, returns to the Marlies, where he has almost exclusively played this year. The Kazan, Russia native, has had a respectable 2025-26 campaign, managing a 20-12-6 record in 36 games with a .903 SV% and 2.90 GAA. Unfortunately, his start last night against the Dallas Stars didn’t go well, as Akhtyamov gave up six goals on 32 shots (.813 SV%).
Dallas Stars To Activate Radek Faksa
The Dallas Stars are inching toward full strength heading into the postseason. According to Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News, the Stars are expected to activate forward Radek Faksa from the injured reserve, and he’ll make his return to the lineup this evening. Additionally, forward Michael Bunting is expected to return to the lineup, too, though he was never placed on the injured reserve.
Faksa’s return has been a long time coming. He first suffered an upper-body injury during the Olympics playing for Team Czechia. The injury wasn’t believed to be serious at the time, and Faksa was only expected to miss a game or two.
Unfortunately, that mild prognosis has turned into a multi-week return. During his rehabilitation, Faksa suffered a lower-body injury, which kept him out until now. A few reports indicated that Faksa may be done for the season, but he has managed to make a fairly quick recovery.
Although he hasn’t been a reliable point-producer for the Stars for many years, he has been one of the most reliable fourth-line forwards in the league. After his one-year hiatus with the St. Louis Blues, Faksa has scored two goals and 17 points in 56 games with Dallas this season, averaging 11:41 of ice time per game.
That doesn’t paint the whole picture with Faksa. He’s a steady penalty killer, owns a career 52.4% success rate in the faceoff dot, and starts more than 70% of his shifts in the defensive zone. He’s the epitome of a shutdown forward, and Dallas feels comfortable playing him against opponents’ best players, which will be a boon for them in the upcoming playoffs.
Meanwhile, Bunting returns to the lineup after missing the first few weeks of April with a lower-body injury. Before the injury, he had struggled with the Stars after being acquired at the trade deadline, scoring one goal and two points in 11 games with a -7 rating.
Devils Reassign Lenni Hameenaho, Place Brian Halonen On Waivers
The New Jersey Devils are sending some reinforcements to their AHL affiliate for one final postseason push. The Devils announced that they’ve reassigned Lenni Hameenaho to the AHL’s Utica Comets and have placed Brian Halonen on waivers to do the same.
Hameenaho, 21, has had a quality first year of professional hockey in North America. New Jersey selected the Kajaani, Finland native with the 58th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, and he spent his two post-draft years with the Finnish Liiga’s Ässät.
He was more than successful over that stretch, scoring 34 goals and 82 points in 104 games with a +17 rating, proving to the Devils that he was ready for the jump to the AHL.
Although he has been unable to sustain the level of scoring he showed in Finland, Hameenaho has still registered nine goals and 22 points in 34 games for the Comets this season. He’s unlikely to finish as Utica’s top rookie, though he’s nearly there with nearly 30 fewer games played.
His NHL debut hasn’t been as promising, in contrast. Hameenaho has played in 33 games for the Devils this season, scoring two goals and eight points while averaging 12:11 of ice time in a third-line role. His 48.8% CorsiFor hasn’t provided much confidence, either, though he’s still young and has plenty of time for more development.
Meanwhile, Halonen is a much more experienced veteran and should head to Utica tomorrow. Although a team could technically claim him, he’s unable to play in the postseason and has never been considered a quality prospect. Still, he’s been a solid performer for the Comets, scoring 19 goals and 32 points in 48 games this season.
Dallas Stars Sign Christian Fitzgerald
The Dallas Stars have continued adding to their organizational depth through the college ranks. Dallas has announced the signing of forward Christian Fitzgerald to a one-year contract, beginning in the 2026-27 season. He’ll join the AHL’s Texas Stars for the remainder of the year on an amateur tryout agreement.
According to PuckPedia, Fitzgerald’s one-year, entry-level contract will come with an $850K NHL salary, $102.5K signing bonus, the possibility of a $72.5K games played bonus, and an $85K AHL salary.
Fitzgerald, 23, recently concluded his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin. Fitzgerald helped the Badgers reach the National Championship for the first time since 2010, ultimately losing to the University of Denver Pioneers.
He began his college tenure at Minnesota State University, scoring 16 goals and 29 points in 38 games, making for an extremely productive rookie campaign. However, when head coach Mike Hastings signed on with the Badgers, Fitzgerald followed him to Madison as a transfer.
Unfortunately, Fitzerald’s production dipped following the move, scoring 13 goals and 41 points in 74 contests, bottoming out with a six-goal, 17-point showing last season.
Still, Fitzgerald rebounded in a big way for his senior season, scoring 16 goals and 31 points in 39 games, finishing third on the team in scoring.
Although far from a top prospect, the Stars have had decent luck with collegiate free agents. Dallas signed Justin Hryckowian out of Northeastern University a few years ago, and he’s become a reliable tertiary scorer for the club in his second professional campaign. Fitzgerald has some maturing to do on the defensive side of the puck, but the Stars clearly trust in their developmental system enough to get as much as they can out of him.
Jonathan Quick To Retire Following Season
As speculated, tonight will be Jonathan Quick‘s last start of his NHL career. Getting the nod against the Florida Panthers, Quick told reporters (via Vince Z. Mercogliano) that he is retiring after the 2025-26 season.
Quick’s professional career began back in 2005, when he was selected 72nd overall by the Los Angeles Kings. After a pair of quality years at the University of Massachusetts, the Kings felt it was time to bring Quick to the professional level.
Unfortunately, his first season didn’t go as well as he had hoped. He was disappointing in a few games with Los Angeles and spent much of the year split between the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs and ECHL’s Reading Royals.
Still, despite again beginning the year in the AHL, Quick was called up when netminder Erik Ersberg went down with an injury, and never looked back.
Throughout the next decade, Quick became one of the most dominant goalies of his era. From his call-up during the 2008-09 season through the 2017-18 season, Quick won 292 out of 553 games (.528 W%) with a .917 SV% and 2.27 GAA. Although he never won the Vezina Trophy, he took home a pair of William M. Jennings trophies in 2014 and 2018.
Additionally, one cannot bring up Quick’s dominant run in Los Angeles without mentioning his playoff performances. In that same decade, Quick backstopped the Kings to two Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014, winning 46 of 85 games (.541 W%) with a .922 SV% and 2.23 GAA. His performance was impressive during the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, and he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason’s MVP.
If they hadn’t already, Quick’s performance in 2012 certified that he was the Kings’ goaltender of the future, and they rewarded him with a 10-year, $58MM ($5.8MM AAV) extension.
As it does so often, injuries and age crept up on Quick, and his stability in the crease began to wane during the 2018-19 season. Finishing out his 10-year extension with Los Angeles, Quick found his way to the Vegas Golden Knights after the Kings traded him to Columbus, and the Blue Jackets shipped him to Vegas.
While he didn’t have an integral role with the team, nor did he get his name on the Stanley Cup, Quick won the trophy for the third time with the Golden Knights in 2023. Knowing that his career was coming to an end, Quick signed with the New York Rangers, a team he had grown up idolizing, ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Far removed from being a quality starter, Quick has still managed to be a productive backup for the Rangers. In three years with the club, Quick has managed a 35-29-6 record in 75 games, with a .900 SV% and 2.94 GAA.
Before tonight’s contest, Quick owns a 410-306-90 record throughout his 828-game NHL career. His 410 wins stand as the 12th-most all-time in the NHL, though he won’t have a chance to crack Tony Esposito‘s record with a win tonight. Additionally, his career .910 SV% ranks 59th all-time, just a few points shy of Patrick Roy.
We at PHR congratulate Quick on a Hall of Fame career and wish him the best of luck in his next chapter.
Photo courtesy of Jerry Lai of USA TODAY Sports.