Kings Sign Hampton Slukynsky, Grant Slukynsky To Entry-Level Deals
April 2: The Kings announced both Hampton’s and Grant’s signings on Thursday. Financial terms were not disclosed. Hampton’s is a three-year deal while Grant’s is for one year, both beginning next season. They’ll go to AHL Ontario to suit up on amateur tryouts for the remainder of 2025-26.
March 30: The Los Angeles Kings are expected to sign one of their promising goaltending prospects. According to Alexander Legget of Mayor’s Manor, the Kings are expected to sign netminder Hampton Slukynsky to his entry-level contract.
Slukynsky, 20, has spent his collegiate career with the Western Michigan University Broncos. Los Angeles selected the Warroad, MN native out of high school in the 2023 NHL Draft with the 118th overall pick. Slukynsky spent his post-draft season with the USHL’s Fargo Force before officially joining the Broncos.
Even after winning the USHL’s Clark Cup and Goaltender of the Year award in 2023-24, few would have expected what Slukynsky would do in his freshman campaign. Slukynsky was integral to Western Michigan University capturing its first National Championship in program history. He finished the year with a 19-5-1 record in 25 games with a .922 SV% and 1.90 GAA.
Earlier that season, he added more championship wins to his resume. Although he wasn’t the team’s starter, Slukynsky helped Team USA capture gold in the U20 IIHF World Junior Championships, winning both of his starts with a .933 SV%.
This season, despite the Broncos not defending their title, Slukynsky continued to post elite numbers. He finished his sophomore season with a 27-11-1 record in 39 games with a .915 SV% and 2.30 GAA, including four shutouts.
Not only are the Kings expected to sign Hampton, but they’re also expected to sign his brother, Grant Slukynsky, who is an undrafted collegiate prospect. Like his brother, Grant, 24, spent the last two years with the Broncos, scoring 20 goals and 76 points in 81 games.
Combined, their resumes speak for themselves. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, the pair have combined for two separate Clark Cup championships, a National Championship, and a World Junior gold medal. The Kings will maintain hope that the brothers can continue their winning ways in the professional ranks.
San Jose Sharks Activate Ty Dellandrea
The San Jose Sharks announced that they’ve activated forward Ty Dellandrea from the injured reserve. Without a corresponding roster move, the Sharks will have 25 players on the active roster, 16 of whom are forwards.
Dellandrea, 25, has missed nearly two full months of action. On January 6th, in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dellandrea collided with a goal post and subsequently tore his posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Although he managed to avoid surgery, his extensive recovery process cost him 30 games of the regular season.
Before the injury, Dellandrea was having a relatively solid season. In 42 games this year, his second in San Jose, Dellandrea registered two goals and 11 points with a -15 rating, averaging 14:24 of ice time per game. Still, he remains looking to recapture his form from a few years ago, when he scored nine goals and 28 points in 82 games with the Dallas Stars while averaging a similar ATOI.
However, if he had remained healthy, Dellandrea would have gotten fairly close to those totals. Even as a third-line forward, the Sharks still view Dellandrea as a part of the near future, as they made him one of seven forwards on the team to be signed through the 2027-28 season.
It’ll be interesting to see how Dellandrea’s role on the Sharks changes throughout his upcoming contract. San Jose has a glut of young forwards knocking on the door, and cuts will have to be made to make room. Still, with many veteran forwards playing on one to two-year deals, Dellandrea’s spot on the roster should be safe for now.
Panthers Recall Tobias Bjornfot, Mikulas Hovorka
The Florida Panthers need more depth with two additional defensemen out with injury. According to George Richards of Florida Hockey Now, the Panthers have recalled Tobias Björnfot and Mikulas Hovorka from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Florida later confirmed the transaction.
It’s expected that both defensemen will be in the lineup tomorrow against the Boston Bruins. In the same report, Richards shared that Aaron Ekblad, who is dealing with a hand injury after blocking a shot, and Dmitry Kulikov, who took a puck off the face, are both being held out.
That will leave Seth Jones and Gustav Forsling as the only two defensemen who played on opening night this season to be in Florida’s lineup tomorrow. That’s without factoring in the multiple injuries to the forward corps, as the Panthers are also expected to be without Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand, Jonah Gadjovich, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Reinhart, and Anton Lundell.
It’s been the overarching theme of the 2025-26 season for Florida. Injuries have prevented the Panthers from achieving any success this year and will also prevent the team from defending their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
At any rate, it allows a pair of defensemen who haven’t played much for the team this season. Björnfot, 24, has scored two goals and one assist in 11 games for the Panthers this season, averaging 11:33 of ice time per night. Meanwhile, Hovorka, 24, has only one game of NHL experience under his belt, skating for 11:27 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on February 5th.
Edmonton Oilers Sign William Nicholl
According to a team announcement, the Edmonton Oilers have signed forward William Nicholl to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2026-27 season. Nicholl will presumably finish the rest of the 2025-26 campaign with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
The contract details for his entry-level contract are as follows, as provided by PuckPedia:
| Year | NHL Salary | Signing bonus | Potential performance bonuses | Minors salary |
| 2026-27 | $850K | $85K | NA | $85K |
| 2027-28 | $900K | $85K | NA | $85K |
| 2028-29 | $950K | $85K | NA | $85K |
Nicholl, 19, recently wrapped up his third season with the OHL’s London Knights. He did not start the season on time due to offseason surgery, which led him to finish with 15 goals and 26 points in 32 games, achieving a +10 rating.
Last season, in what would be his best performance in the OHL, Nicholl scored 21 goals and 57 points in 66 games with a +38 rating. He featured in the Knights’ postseason run last year, scoring one goal and totaling eight points in 17 games, which helped the team secure its third Memorial Cup championship in franchise history.
Still, there’s definitely an argument that Nicholl could use another year of seasoning at the OHL level. Edmonton selected Nicholl with the 196th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, so he’s not necessarily a top prospect that needs to be rushed to the professional ranks.
Factoring in his recent injury history, it’s somewhat surprising that the Oilers don’t give him a year to dominate the junior level before turning professional next season. Even if they had waited a year, Nicholl would only have been 20 years old, with plenty of time to develop further.
Regardless, the top brass at Edmonton feels he is ready, which means he’ll have the opportunity to test his mettle through the last few weeks of the AHL season. Even if his offensive prowess isn’t quite ready, his stature certainly is. Nicholl stands at 6’0″, 183 lbs, and has never been shy to engage in physicality while in London.
Blue Jackets Recall Luca Del Bel Belluz
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that they’ve recalled forward Luca Del Bel Belluz from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Del Bel Belluz last played in the NHL with the Blue Jackets shortly before Christmas earlier this season.
Del Bel Belluz, 22, has been an intriguing prospect in Columbus’s system for a few years now. He’s been an exceptional scorer at the AHL level with the Monsters, but has yet to put it together in hockey’s top league.
Since debuting in the professional ranks in the 2023-24 season, Del Bel Belluz has scored 58 goals and 141 points in 172 games for AHL Cleveland. That production hasn’t been enough to warrant any awards or recognitions in the AHL, but he has essentially been a point-per-game player for the past two years.
Given that production, it’s fairly confusing why he hasn’t gotten a longer opportunity at the NHL level, especially this year. Last season, Del Bel Belluz scored two goals and eight points in 15 games for the Blue Jackets, averaging 13:45 of ice time in a middle-six role.
Still, it’s not like Del Bel Belluz hasn’t gotten any opportunities this year. Throughout the 2025-26 campaign, Del Bel Belluz has only tallied one assist in 12 games, averaging 8:46 of ice time on the team’s fourth line. Del Bel Belluz has yet to play for the Blue Jackets under the tutelage of Rick Bowness.
There’s reason to believe that Del Bel Belluz will increase his point totals if he gets any significant ice time throughout his current call-up. Before the hiring of Bowness, Columbus averaged three goals per game. Since his hire, the team has averaged just over 3.5.
Flames Sign Jonathan Castagna To Entry-Level Contract
As expected, the Calgary Flames have signed one of their recently acquired prospects to his entry-level contract. Calgary announced that they’ve signed forward Jonathan Castagna to a three-year, $3.225MM ($1.075MM AAV) entry-level contract beginning next season. Outside of his AAV, the Flames didn’t provide any more contractual details.
Castagna, 20, was drafted with the 70th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft by the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes. He was playing in the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association with St. Andrew’s College at the time, scoring 29 goals and 72 points in 50 games.
The following year, Castagna began his collegiate career at Cornell University. He had a decent showing as a freshman, scoring 11 goals and 25 points in 35 games with a +20 rating. Unfortunately, he took a step back in his sophomore season, registering five goals and 15 points in 32 contests.
He rebounded in a big way this year. Although he only finished 40th in scoring throughout the entire NCAA, Castagna still had a point-per-game year, registering 15 goals and 34 points in 34 games with a +23 rating.
In an interesting way, that made him a more expendable prospect for the Utah Mammoth. The team is already flush with young top-six forwards and has other prospects on the way. Looking to make a splash at the deadline, the Mammoth included Castagna in the package for defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.
In their announcement, the Flames shared that Castagna will begin his professional career on an amateur tryout agreement with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. He’s dealing with a minor lower-body injury at the time being, so it’ll be a few days before he makes his professional debut.
Buffalo Sabres Recall Zach Metsa
As expected, the Buffalo Sabres have recalled defenseman Zach Metsa from the AHL’s Rochester Americans, according to a team announcement. Metsa was reassigned just a few days ago due to the activation of fellow defenseman Conor Timmins.
Simply put, the Sabres have just been better this season when Metsa is in the lineup. Throughout the year, Buffalo has a 29-5-4 record when Metsa is playing, and a 16-16-4 record when he isn’t. He’s not necessarily a game-changing defenseman like Rasmus Dahlin, but the team is clearly comfortable when Metsa is earning minutes.
Despite how Timmins has played since returning, he’ll likely be the odd man out when the Sabres get Metsa back into the lineup. Metsa isn’t relied upon to kill penalties like Timmins, but the two have held a similar role this season on the right side of the bottom pairing.
Throughout his rookie season, Metsa has put up solid production given his ice time, scoring two goals and six points in 38 games with a +20 rating, averaging 10:19 of action per game. Still, his 45.6% CorsiFor at even strength and 1.9 E+/- indicates that he’s gotten a bit of puck luck. However, that’s been true of the entire Sabres team throughout their historic run this season.
The team has hovered around a 103.0 PDO (shooting percentage + save percentage at even strength), which indicates that they are due for regression at some point. Teams will typically average a flat 100.0 throughout the season, with teams on either side of that trending toward it.
Montreal Canadiens Recall Adam Engstrom
The Montreal Canadiens have added some defensive depth to the roster for the remaining part of their regular-season schedule. According to a team announcement, the Canadiens have recalled Adam Engstrom from the AHL’s Laval Rocket.
Engstrom, 22, has already played in multiple games with Montreal this year over a pair of call-ups earlier in the season. The Jarna, Sweden native is still looking for his first NHL point after 11 games, but does carry a +3 rating and a 50.7% CorsiFor at even strength.
Obviously, teams don’t draft players with the expectation that they won’t contribute at the NHL level someday, but Engstrom has played above his draft status for some time. The Canadiens selected him with the 92nd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft after registering eight goals and 28 points in 45 games in the J20 Nationell league in Sweden.
After a pair of productive seasons in the SHL with Rögle BK, Engstrom immigrated to North America for the 2024-25 campaign to continue his professional career. This season, he has taken his offensive game to a completely different level with the Rocket, scoring 10 goals and 34 points in 45 games.
Unfortunately, he suffered an upper-body injury in late February, which kept him out of action for a few weeks. Still, he didn’t miss a beat upon his return, and now has earned another call-up with Montreal to close out their 2025-26 campaign.
Senators Sign Hoyt Stanley To Entry-Level Contract
The Ottawa Senators have signed their second collegiate prospect of the day. According to a team announcement, the Senators have signed defenseman Hoyt Stanley to a three-year, entry-level contract, beginning in the 2026-27 season. He’ll finish the 2025-26 campaign on an amateur tryout agreement with the AHL’s Belleville Senators. Per PuckPedia, the deal carries a cap hit of $1.075MM and a $1.114MM qualifying offer with the following breakdown:
| Year | NHL salary | Signing bonus | Minors salary |
| 2026-27 | $922.5K | $102.5K | $85K |
| 2027-28 | $967.5K | $107.5K | $85K |
| 2028-29 | $1.013MM | $112.5K | $85K |
Stanley, 21, recently completed his junior season at Cornell University. The West Vancouver, BC native was drafted 108th overall by the Senators in the 2023 NHL Draft, playing his draft season with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies, where he scored four goals and 38 points in 53 games.
He was never an offensive threat at Cornell, nor was he expected to be one. Still, he remained fairly consistent throughout his collegiate career, registering seven goals and 38 points in 105 games with a +32 rating. During his time in the program, Cornell never advanced far in the National Tournament. However, Stanley contributed to the team by helping them secure two ECAC championships and achieve a remarkable upset against Michigan State University in the regional semifinals last year.
While he won’t be expected to lead the defensive corps in scoring while in Ottawa or Belleville, Stanley still has talent that makes him an intriguing prospect. Standing at 6’3″, 201lbs, Stanley is an exceptional skater at that size. He isn’t necessarily the most explosive skater in straight-line quickness, but his edge work and lateral mobility make him nearly impossible to beat wide.
Evening Notes: Tortorella, Lohrei, Olivier, Bunting
Earlier this afternoon, the Vegas Golden Knights sent waves through the NHL by firing head coach Bruce Cassidy and replacing him with veteran bench boss John Tortorella. Still, the Golden Knights didn’t give Tortorella a long leash.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Tortorella’s contract with Vegas only runs through the rest of the 2025-26 season. He’ll be guaranteed the last eight games of the regular season for the Golden Knights, and, assuming they make the playoffs, their last game of the postseason. Unless an extension is agreed to beforehand, the Golden Knights may be looking for a new head coach in a few months.
It’s a similar move to what the Columbus Blue Jackets did with Rick Bowness, albeit with much more time remaining in the season. However, even if the Tortorella experiment isn’t fruitful, the Golden Knights could explore a reunion with Peter DeBoer, hire Jay Woodcroft away from the Anaheim Ducks, or take a run at David Carle at the University of Denver. That’s all before any other teams make changes leading into the summer.
Additional evening notes:
- The Boston Bruins were without one of their top-four defensemen in their comeback win over the Blue Jackets earlier today. Before the game, Boston’s play-by-play broadcaster, Ryan Johnson, shared that Mason Lohrei is dealing with a minor lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Despite the Bruins’ success, Lohrei has had a difficult month, scoring one goal and two points in 14 games with a +2 rating.
- On the other side of the game, the Blue Jackets lost middle-six forward Mathieu Olivier to an upper-body injury during the game, as announced by the club. Olivier skated in 3:06 of action across six shifts, registering one shot on goal and two hits. His injury is likely connected to fighting Bruins forward Mark Kastelic late in the first period.
- Already dealing with a few injuries to their forward corps, the trend continues for the Dallas Stars. During their ongoing contest against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Stars shared that Michael Bunting is unlikely to return due to a lower-body injury. Bunting has not returned after skating for six shifts, and the injury update was vague.