Philadelphia Flyers Sign, Waive Garrett Wilson
The Philadelphia Flyers are rewarding the captain of the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms for his years of service. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared that the Flyers have signed forward Garrett Wilson to an NHL contract. Wilson must clear waivers before his contract can officially be registered with the Flyers.
Wilson, 34, is in his 15th professional season. He was originally selected with the 107th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers. Working his way up through the ECHL and AHL, Wilson made his NHL debut on March 18th, 2014, with the Panthers.
Unfortunately, during some productive years in the AHL with the San Antonio Rampage and Portland Pirates, Wilson failed to produce in the NHL. After spending five years in the Panthers organization, Wilson finished his tenure with zero points in 34 games, averaging 9:26 of ice time.
Seeking a new opportunity, Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 2016-17 season. It was with the Penguins that Wilson enjoyed the best season of his NHL career. Though he again primarily played in the AHL, Wilson scored two goals and eight points in 50 games with Pittsburgh in the 2018-19 season, and even chipped in one goal across four postseason contests during the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Since then, it’s been all AHL for Wilson. Aside from a one-year stint with the Toronto Marlies in 2020-21, Wilson has spent the last six years in Lehigh Valley, and the last three as the team’s captain. Over that stretch, he has scored 62 goals and 145 points in 338 games, with 857 PIMs.
Golden Knights Place Alexander Holtz, Cole Reinhardt On Waivers
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Vegas Golden Knights have placed forwards Alexander Holtz and Cole Reinhardt on waivers. The other 31 teams in the league will have 24 hours to claim either forward ahead of tomorrow’s deadline.
The writing has been on the wall for Holtz for some time. Drafted seventh overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2020, Holtz was believed to become a long-term fixture in New Jersey’s top six. That didn’t come to fruition.
He showed flashes of quality play, especially during the 2023-24 season when he scored 16 goals and 28 points in 82 games for the Devils. Ultimately, New Jersey opted to move on from Holtz the following summer, sending him, along with netminder Akira Schmid, to the Golden Knights for Paul Cotter and a third-round pick.
Things haven’t gone much better in Sin City. Throughout the last two years, typically in a bottom-six role, Holtz has scored seven goals and 21 points in 81 games, averaging 11:33 of ice time. Holtz has grown accustomed to being a healthy scratch on multiple occasions and even being demoted to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights last season.
Still, he’s signed through next year on a $850K salary and is only six years removed from being a top-10 selection. He clearly hasn’t met his draft expectations, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see a rebuilding team like the Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, or Vancouver Canucks to take a flyer on him for free.
Meanwhile, Reinhardt, 26, is a bottom-six forward in his first year with the Golden Knights. After spending several years with the Ottawa Senators organization, Reinhardt signed a two-year, $1.63MM ($813K AAV) contract with Vegas last summer. He’s gotten the most NHL playing time he’s ever received this year, scoring three goals and seven points in 44 games, averaging 9:47 of action.
If he were to be claimed, he could add physicality to a different team’s bottom-six. However, Reinhardt provides minimal assistance beyond his physicality, and there are likely better alternatives available at this time of year.
Regardless, like the NHL’s qualification rules, players must be on an AHL roster by 3:00 p.m. EST to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs. Given that Henderson is in the hunt in the AHL’s Pacific Division, and if the Golden Knights weren’t planning on utilizing them for their postseason run, Holtz and Reinhardt would become eligible to assist Henderson if needed.
New Jersey Devils Place Three On Waivers
According to a team announcement, the New Jersey Devils have placed Evgenii Dadonov, Luke Glendening, and Maxim Tsyplakov on waivers. If all three players clear, they would have added flexibility on the trade market by tomorrow afternoon, given they can be freely reassigned to the AHL by the acquiring club.
The placement of all three on waivers is the Devils’ way of trimming some fat off the roster ahead of the deadline. Dadonov and Glendening will become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, whereas Tsyplakov is signed through next year at a $2.25MM cap hit.
After some fruitful years with the Dallas Stars, Dadonov joined New Jersey on a one-year, $1MM contract last offseason. There are performance bonuses included in his contract that would bring the salary to $3.25MM, and he has a full no-trade clause through the end of the year. Despite being brought in to add additional firepower to the team’s bottom-six, Dadonov’s 2025-26 campaign has been completely derailed by injuries.
Scoring 35 goals and 78 points in 154 games with the Stars, Dadonov has yet to register his first point with the Devils. He’s had multiple stints on the injured reserve due to hand and wrist injuries, and he has registered only 17 appearances this year.
Meanwhile, Glendening likely has the least value of the trio. Earning a professional tryout agreement in September, Glendening officially joined New Jersey on a one-year, league minimum contract. Isolated to a fourth-line role, the 36-year-old center has tallied four assists in 52 games, averaging 9:54 of ice time. Still, he has immense value in the playoff dot, averaging a 55.6% success rate throughout his career while beginning 73.5% of his shifts in the defensive zone.
Lastly, Tsyplakov has only been a Devil for a little while. He was the only player acquired by New Jersey in last month’s trade, sending Ondřej Palát to the New York Islanders. During his brief tenure in New Jersey, Tsyplakov has yet to register a point in nine contests. Even if he does clear waivers, the Devils may be hard-pressed to find a landing spot for him, even at a lower cost.
Blues, Mathieu Joseph To Terminate Contract
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the St. Louis Blues are placing forward Mathieu Joseph on waivers to terminate his contract. As Friedman noted, if Joseph clears, he will have to sign by 3:00 p.m. EST tomorrow to be eligible for the postseason.
It’s the second time in as many weeks that the Blues have placed Joseph on waivers. Last week, St. Louis placed him on waivers and eventually reassigned him to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. Things can change quickly this time of year, but Joseph is unlikely to be claimed off of release waivers.
Still, a team may be interested in taking a shot on Joseph at a league minimum salary. He could benefit the bottom six of a playoff-bound team, or serve as a placeholder for a club that sells a few forwards before tomorrow’s deadline.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many teams that have much interest in him, and his nearly $3MM salary. The only saving grace for his cap hit, whether a team claims him or not, is that Joseph will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and be entirely off the books.
Regardless, it’s safe to say that Joseph’s tenure in St. Louis has gone poorly. After scoring 11 goals and 35 points in 72 games for the Ottawa Senators during the 2023-24 campaign, Joseph has yet to reach those totals despite playing in more games with the Blues. Throughout his last two years with the club, he has registered only six goals and 25 points in 99 games, averaging 12:13 of ice time.
Still, what Joseph lacks in scoring output, he makes up for in physicality. Dating back to his time in Ottawa, he has tallied 311 hits, which could benefit a playoff-bound team if they’re looking to get nastier to play against. Although the question remains unanswered, Joseph is anticipated to find a new club within the next 24 hours.
Sabres’ Colton Parayko Trade Falls Through
3/5/26: Parayko has declined to waive his no-trade clause to join the Sabres, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. As a result, as The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun noted, the reported trade will not happen.
On Frankly Hockey, Frank Seravalli indicated that Parayko is open to a trade from St. Louis, but will not accept a move to Buffalo, specifically. As frustrating as it may be for both clubs, it is Parayko’s right to dictate where he goes, given the no-trade protection in his contract.
Following Seravalli’s report, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes indicated that Parayko would prefer to stay in the Western Conference. Weekes specifically mentioned the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, though neither club has any known interest in adding another defenseman.
It’s unknown at this time if Mrtka and a first-round pick were the only pieces that would have headed to the Blues in the deal. If that’s the case, Buffalo had the opportunity to amass arguably the best defensive corps in the league.
Missing out on a player of Parayko’s stature will sting, but there are a few remaining options for the Sabres. Justin Faulk, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Logan Stanley, among others, are all options currently on the market that Buffalo could target. Depending on how long Buffalo negotiated with the Blues, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them turn around and acquire Faulk.
Unfortunately, it does paint a negative picture for Buffalo. Despite the team being on fire this year and heading toward the postseason for the first time in a decade, they are still having trouble encouraging outside talent to join the team. Factoring in Seravalli’s report, it’s clear that Parayko simply didn’t want to head to New York.
Meanwhile, it’s not the best situation for St. Louis either. There’s no reporting on how many teams are interested in Parayko. If they’re unable to move him before the deadline tomorrow, it’ll become awkward at the very least. While it remains a business decision, Parayko’s connection to the community may lead to feelings of animosity regarding the situation, particularly since the trade was leaked before he had a chance to approve it.
Things can and will change fast this time of year. Over the last few days, Parayko and Tyler Myers have each had their names leaked in trade conversations, only to veto the trade. Still, given that he’s willing to consider different clubs, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Parayko approve a trade somewhere else.
3/4/26: According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Buffalo Sabres are moving toward acquiring defenseman Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues. Dreger noted that the trade is still being finalized and that both teams are waiting to see if Parayko will waive his no-trade clause to join the Sabres. Dreger later added that defensive prospect Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick will be a part of the deal. Insider Frank Seravalli reported that the framework of the trade is complete, but Parayko has not yet signed off on it.
It would obviously be a seismic trade for the Sabres, especially if nothing is coming off the NHL roster. Buffalo already has Bowen Byram, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Mattias Samuelsson in the top four of their defensive corps. Parayko has been on the top pairing in St. Louis for nearly a decade, and is signed through the 2029-30 season at an affordable $6.5MM salary.
Vancouver Canucks Recall Cole Clayton
One of the Vancouver Canucks’ recently acquired prospects will be joining the team. According to a team announcement, the Canucks have recalled defenseman Cole Clayton from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.
Clayton, 26, was acquired a few months ago in the trade that sent Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks. He was in his first year with the Sharks organization after signing a one-year, $775K contract with them last offseason.
Before his brief time in San Jose, Clayton had spent four years in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization. Signed as an undrafted free agent from the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, Clayton scored 12 goals and 61 points in 224 games exclusively for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.
This season, he has seen his scoring output dissipate mildly. Split between the Barracuda and the AHL Canucks, Clayton has registered only two goals and seven points in 49 games. In his 16 games with Abbotsford, he has also produced 15 PIMs and a -5 rating.
Given that he’s not expected to be a long-term fixture in Vancouver, Clayton is likely only a placeholder for now. After dealing Quinn Hughes earlier this year, there are no defensemen on the Canucks’ roster who have generated much trade interest, if they’re even available. Still, Vancouver recently lost Pierre-Olivier Joseph to an upper-body injury for the next few weeks, so Clayton will likely serve as the team’s seventh defenseman until he returns.
Mammoth Acquire MacKenzie Weegar
3/5/26: The Mammoth have recalled defenseman Dmitry Simashev from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. Armstrong told the media yesterday that he expects Weegar to be unavailable for 10 days at most as the team finalizes his visa, allowing him to work in the United States. With Weegar sidelined and Maatta off to Calgary, the Mammoth had a need for an additional defenseman – a need that has been filled by this recall.
Simashev, 21, was the No. 6 pick of the 2023 draft, and in in his first full season of professional hockey in North America. He’s split time between Utah and Tucson, scoring 28 points in 30 games at the AHL level, and one point in 24 games in the NHL.
9:00 p.m.: The trade has now been officially announced by both teams. Utah GM Bill Armstrong issued the following statement regarding the addition of Weegar:
MacKenzie is a high-end defenseman with the type of leadership and work ethic that we want in a top-four blueliner. Acquiring MacKenzie solidifies our back end as we continue to push towards the playoffs, and he will be a great addition to our team on and off the ice.
The terms of the deal were confirmed to be what had been previously reported. Utah acquired Weegar in exchange for Maatta, Castagna, and three 2026 second-round draft choices. (via Utah, via New York Rangers, via Ottawa) Flames GM Craig Conroy told the media that Calgary was on Maatta’s 10-team no-trade list, meaning both Weegar and Maatta needed to, and ultimately did, sign off on being traded.
7:00 p.m.: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Utah Mammoth and Calgary Flames are finalizing a trade for defenseman MacKenzie Weegar. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reported that Weegar has agreed to waive his contractual protection against a trade in order to facilitate the move to Utah. The deal has not yet been officially confirmed.
According to Frank Seravalli, the Flames are acquiring veteran defenseman Olli Maatta, a prospect, and three second-round picks in exchange for Weegar. Francis reported that the prospect involved is Jonathan Castagna, a 20-year-old center currently playing college hockey at Cornell University.
The Mammoth entered deadline season coveting a right-handed shooting defenseman, and they have seemingly landed a top target. Not only is Weegar one of the better two-way defensemen in the league, but he’s arguably the best at being able to play on both sides of the blue line. That’s an added level of versatility that should complement the existing defenders in the lineup in Utah.
From Weegar’s perspective, the significant decision was likely about whether to commit what is likely to be the rest of his best playing years to the Mammoth. Utah (or previously the Coyotes) have made the playoffs once since 2011-12. Weegar is under contract for an additional five years beyond this one at a $6.25MM cap hit. When his contract expires, he will be 37 years old.
When deciding whether to commit to the Mammoth, Weegar undoubtedly had to consider whether he feels he’ll be able legitimately compete for a Stanley Cup championship. Utah are an ascending team, to be sure, but there is still a difference in near-term competitiveness between them and, say, the Tampa Bay Lightning or Colorado Avalanche.
The on-ice fit in Utah appears to be there, at least. The Mammoth boast several high-quality defensemen, but his best fit may be on their second pairing alongside John Marino, a spot currently occupied by 34-year-old Nate Schmidt. He could also play alongside Ian Cole, which would likely mean playing on the right side.
In any case, the Mammoth are adding a versatile, extremely reliable defenseman for their playoff push, and for several future playoff pushes.
Weegar has been an all-situations minutes-eater for the Flames this season, averaging 23:06 time-on-ice per game, including usage on both sides of special teams.
From the perspective of the Flames, they have added some useful future assets in this deal.
While the return for Weegar notably lacks a high-end young asset going the other way, adding three second-rounders (presumably the trio of second-round picks the Mammoth have for the 2026 draft) is still extremely valuable.
There are talented players to find in the second round every year, and odds are the Flames will have the chance to draft a few future NHLers with those picks. One of the draft picks originally belonged to the New York Rangers, and its one that is likely to be near the top of the second round of the draft order.
In addition to the picks, the Flames added Maatta, who is a useful veteran defenseman in his own right. He’s a player who needed a fresh start, having been a frequent healthy scratch, and he’s now gotten one in Calgary, where he’ll likely play heavy minutes. He’s averaged just 12:03 time on ice per game this season, way down from his career average of 18:16 per game.
Maatta is under contract for an additional two years at a $3.5MM cap hit, and if he can effectively weather the minutes he’s likely to receive as a Flame, he could be a candidate for the Flames to trade at some point down the line. If that ends up being the case, the Weegar trade could still yet add even more future assets to the Flames organization.
The final piece of the Flames’ return for Weegar is Castagna, who as mentioned is currently a top center for Cornell. The 2023 No. 70 overall pick has had a strong bounce-back year, and according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, is an “excellent athlete and skater.” Wheeler noted Castagna was set to slot in as the No. 12 prospect in Utah’s system in his upcoming prospect pool rankings. Francis reported that the Flames are “very excited” about adding Castagna.
While he’s not a high-pedigree prospect with a strong chance of changing the fortunes of the Flames franchise, his addition fits the strategy the Flames appear to have taken with this deal: they’re looking for as many chances as possible to get future long-term NHL contributors.
The Flames, as currently constructed, have quite a few roster needs, so it’s understandable that they would rather spread out their return and give themselves as many chances as possible to land a quality player, rather than shift all of their eggs in one basket in hopes of one target turning into a star.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Trade Notes: Garland, Haula, Duhaime, Greer
After yesterday’s report that the New York Islanders were in serious discussions to acquire Conor Garland from the Vancouver Canucks, no completed trade has emerged. In a subsequent update from Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, the Islanders may be pulling away from their pursuit of Garland.
Rosner stated that the Canucks are active on multiple fronts regarding Garland, suggesting that a bidding war might be starting. Additionally, Rosner believes that Vancouver’s asking price for Garland may be too much for the Islanders to stomach.
New York still has time to reconsider Garland or seek a more affordable solution. There’s no question the team could use additional offense, especially on the powerplay. Garland has scored 82 goals and 221 points in 370 games since joining the Canucks in 2021, with 55 of those points coming on the power play.
Additional trade notes:
- For teams not interested in paying the price for Robert Thomas or Vincent Trocheck, the Nashville Predators have another center option available for trade. According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, Erik Haula is drawing interest from around the league. Haula, a pending unrestricted free agent, has scored nine goals and 30 points in 61 games for Nashville this season, averaging 16:38 of ice time. Additionally, Haula was impressive for Team Finland at the Olympics, scoring three goals and six points in six games, helping his country to a bronze medal.
- In a separate report from Weekes, the former netminder shared that Brandon Duhaime of the Washington Capitals and A.J. Greer of the Florida Panthers are drawing interest as potential bottom-six options. Each forward is incredibly physical and can chip in offensively when needed. Greer has had the better year between the two, scoring 11 goals and 22 points in 61 games with 159 hits.
Maple Leafs Scratch Multiple Players
The writing is on the wall for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Firmly shifting their eyes toward selling, the Maple Leafs announced they had scratched Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Scott Laughton, and Bobby McMann ahead of the trade deadline. The term they used in their announcement was “roster-management purposes.”
Although no deal is close on any of the trio, it’s the first indication that Toronto recognizes that the 2025-26 season is lost. The Maple Leafs are 0-3-1 since the Olympics, being outscored by 10. They have fallen nine points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Assuming they finish outside of a playoff spot, it’ll be the first time in a decade that the Maple Leafs have failed to qualify for the postseason. The biggest looming issue is that Toronto is projected to be without its first-round pick in the upcoming draft. The selection was moved to the Boston Bruins last season in the Brandon Carlo trade, but is top-five protected. As of right now, the Maple Leafs are projected to have the 11th overall pick, which would be of immense value to Boston.
All three of tonight’s scratches have been mentioned in trade rumors of late.
Defenseman Ekman-Larsson is in the second year of a four-year, $14MM contract. He’s been a solid top-four option for the Maple Leafs, scoring 12 goals and 64 points in 138 games, averaging 20:57 of ice time. Still, despite adding some physicality, Ekman-Larsson has seen his possession and defensive metrics drop mildly since joining Toronto.
According to The Fourth Period, the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, and Utah Mammoth are interested in Ekman-Larsson. After acquiring Tyler Myers from the Vancouver Canucks earlier today, the Stars’ reported interest may have evaporated.
Meanwhile, Laughton and McMann are both expiring assets that have the flexibility to play up and down any team’s lineup. Laughton’s scoring output has dissipated throughout his first full year in Toronto, but he remains quite responsible in the defensive zone and has a 56.7% faceoff percentage this season. The Maple Leafs acquired Laughton at the last deadline for Nikita Grebenkin and a first-round pick.
McMann would likely have the most trade value of the group. He has scored 19 goals and 32 points in 60 games this year and is on an incredibly affordable $1.35MM salary. Toronto should have no shortage of phone calls on the pending unrestricted free agent over the next few days. Still, it’s important to remember that Toronto is attempting to sign McMann to a multi-year extension if the price is right.
Latest On Vincent Trocheck
Heading into Friday’s trade deadline, there is growing confidence that Vincent Trocheck will be traded from the New York Rangers. However, if you’re a fan of a Western Conference team, don’t expect Trocheck to be joining your club.
According to Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic, Trocheck confirmed that he prefers to stay in the Eastern Conference. Mercogliano quoted Trocheck, saying, “It’s no secret. (West teams) are on my no-trade list.”
Trocheck’s comments indicate that every team on his 12-team no-trade clause is in the Western Conference. That theoretically leaves the possibility for four Western Conference teams to pursue Trocheck, as well as the entire Eastern Conference. Given that he’s also committed to winning, that could leave the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild as potential options, as they’re both in the Central Time Zone.
Any team interested in Trocheck will know exactly what they’re getting. He’s been remarkably consistent and healthy throughout his career, particularly during his tenure with the Rangers. Since signing a seven-year, $39.83MM ($5.63MM AAV) contract with New York in 2022, Trocheck has scored 85 goals and 238 points in 291 games, averaging 20:40 of ice time. Additionally, even though his cap hit will remain $5.63MM through the 2028-29 season, Trocheck will only have $14.5MM ($4.83MM/yr) remaining on the last three years of his contract.
There is nothing in Trocheck’s game that has suffered a steep fall off since entering his 30s. He remains physical, a quality performer in the faceoff dot, and defensively sound. For any playoff-bound team, there are few options better than Trocheck built for the postseason.
The two notable Eastern Conference teams that have been heavily linked to Trocheck are the Carolina Hurricanes and the Detroit Red Wings. Trocheck should be comfortable with either club, given that both are competitive this season and he has ties to both. He played two and a half years with the Hurricanes before ultimately signing as a free agent with the Rangers.
Additionally, despite being born in Pittsburgh, Trocheck spent his amateur hockey days with the Detroit-based Little Caesars hockey program before joining the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. Furthermore, Trocheck’s wife, Hillary, grew up in the Saginaw, MI area.