Red Wings Extend Jacob Bernard-Docker
The Detroit Red Wings announced that they’ve signed defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to a two-year, $3.2MM ($1.6MM AAV) contract extension. The contract will run through the 2027-28 NHL season, and Bernard-Docker will become an unrestricted free agent upon expiry.
Bernard-Docker, 25, is in his first year with Detroit after signing a one-year, $875K contract last summer. The former first-round pick began last season with the Ottawa Senators and finished the campaign with the Buffalo Sabres after being included in the Dylan Cozens, Joshua Norris swap at the trade deadline. Buffalo opted not to tender him a qualifying offer last offseason, making him free to sign with any team.
Although he doesn’t provide much offense from the blue line, he’s had an otherwise solid debut with the Red Wings. Through 55 games this season, Bernard-Docker has tallied four assists with a +5 rating, averaging a flat 15 minutes per game.
Most of his value is made up on the defensive side of the puck. Not only is Bernard-Docker averaging the highest on-ice SV% at even strength (95.0%) of his career, but he is averaging the highest on the team by a significant margin — a team that has flirted with postseason positioning for much of the season.
Still, the Red Wings don’t typically utilize Bernard-Docker on the special teams as they usually opt for a veteran-heavy rotation, particularly on the penalty kill. At even strength, he is almost exclusively partnered with Albert Johansson, and the two have combined for a 51.0% xGoals% throughout the year, according to MoneyPuck.
The biggest question mark with this extension is how Bernard-Docker will be utilized next season and beyond. Detroit brought in Justin Faulk at the deadline, and with Moritz Seider and Axel Sandin Pellikka, it leaves little room on the right side of the defensive corps. The Travis Hamonic experiment, if you want to call it that, is assuredly over after this season. If nothing else changes, Bernard-Docker may have to move to his off-hand, or Detroit will have to do some shifting around of some kind.
At any rate, Bernard-Docker’s new deal locks up every Red Wings defenseman for next season outside of Hamonic and Simon Edvinsson. Edvinsson, who is scheduled to become a restricted free agent, isn’t yet eligible for arbitration, giving Detroit a lot of flexibility with his next deal.
Red Wings Reassign Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Dylan Larkin To Return
The Red Wings announced that they’ve reassigned rookie winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to AHL Grand Rapids. That means his emergency conditions have been removed, meaning that captain Dylan Larkin should be expected to return to the lineup tonight against the Senators. He’s officially labeled a game-time decision for now, per Ansar Khan of MLive.
Brandsegg-Nygard’s recall back on March 7, the day after the trade deadline, was linked directly to Larkin’s injury the night before. He also ended up falling victim to Detroit’s injury bug, sitting out the last four games with an undisclosed injury. At the very least, he’s now at least healthy and cleared to play and will do so for Grand Rapids in short order.
The 20-year-old Norwegian only got into three games on this recall before the injury. In them, he went without a point while averaging 12:28 of ice time per game. He added eight hits and six shot attempts.
The 2024 15th overall pick is in his first season in North America. While he hasn’t made much of an NHL impact – just one assist and a -5 rating across 12 games dating back to his opening-night roster inclusion – he has made a smooth adjustment to AHL play. With 16 goals and 37 points in 50 games for Grand Rapids, he’s tied for second on the team in scoring – along with a glowing +24 rating – and will get some postseason experience too with the Griffins cruising toward the best record in the AHL’s Western Conference.
As for Larkin, Detroit navigated his absence as well as can be expected. The star pivot has missed seven games with a non-contact leg injury, during which the Wings have tread water with a 3-3-1 record. In a playoff race as tight as it is in the East, that’s potentially a death blow to their postseason hopes. They’re now one point back of the Islanders for a spot with a game in hand and have a must-win contest tonight against the Senators, who only trail Detroit by a point.
Red Wings Reassign Axel Sandin-Pellikka
The Red Wings announced that they’ve reassigned defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka to AHL Grand Rapids. It’s the first minor-league stint of the season for the rookie, who was temporarily assigned to Grand Rapids at the trade deadline to make him eligible to suit up in the AHL down the stretch.
While Sandin-Pellikka was promptly recalled back to the NHL roster on deadline day, he hasn’t played since. He was usurped from his second-pairing role alongside Ben Chiarot when the team acquired veteran Justin Faulk from the Blues, pushing the righty to the press box. He’s now been scratched in seven straight contests after appearing in 63 consecutive games to begin his NHL career.
A gifted puck-mover, Detroit selected Sandin-Pellikka 17th overall in 2023. The hope was that he could be a plug-and-play top-four piece after parts of three seasons of professional hockey in his native Sweden. He got that kind of deployment to start the season after a strong training camp. The results haven’t been pretty, though. He has posted a 6-13–19 scoring line but has paired it with a team-worst -21 rating while his ice time has slowly eroded. Only seven of those points came on the power play, as he was quarterbacking the team’s second unit before Faulk’s arrival.
His development isn’t served by sitting and watching, at least not for this long a stretch. As such, Detroit will get the 6’0″ righty some premier minutes in Grand Rapids, where he’s eligible to stay through the postseason. He’ll be logging well over 20 minutes a night there as he looks to get his game back and re-establish himself as a full-time NHLer next fall.
Dylan Larkin Nearing Return
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.
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.
Red Wings Reassign John Leonard
The Red Wings announced Friday that they’ve assigned left-winger John Leonard to AHL Grand Rapids. The move comes after center Andrew Copp returned to the lineup in last night’s win over the Canadiens, scoring a goal after sitting out just three games with a leg injury that was initially expected to keep him out for at least two weeks. Since Leonard was up on an emergency basis, Detroit needed to return him as soon as they had 12 other healthy forwards.
Detroit picked up Leonard on a one-way, league minimum deal in free agency last summer. They were in need of some high-powered depth for their press box and for the minors, where Leonard had spent all of last season on an AHL deal with Charlotte in the Panthers organization. It’s been a great run for Leonard in Grand Rapids this year, leading the AHL’s best team in scoring with a 27-14–41 line and a +11 rating in just 34 games – a ridiculous 57-goal pace over a full 72-game minor-league season.
Leonard’s NHL results have been more tempered in limited minutes. The 27-year-old lefty has suited up 11 times for Detroit this season across multiple call-ups, with his pair of appearances earlier this week against the Stars and Flames serving as his first since January. Overall, he’s recorded two goals and two assists for four points with a -3 rating while averaging 11:30 of ice time per game, but he’s now without a point in his last five NHL showings dating back to late December.
These spot duty call-ups have marked Leonard’s first NHL action since a six-game call-up in March 2024 with the Coyotes. He hasn’t been a full-time NHL piece since appearing in 44 games for the Sharks (3-10–13, -7 rating)as a rookie in the COVID-shortened 2021 season. Those account for over half of his 81 career NHL appearances in parts of five seasons with San Jose, Nashville, Arizona, and Detroit. Given his electric AHL performance, though, he should be in line to land at least a two-way deal this summer, whether that’s on an extension in Hockeytown or somewhere else.
Even with Leonard dropped from the roster, the Wings are still dealing with their fair share of injuries. Captain Dylan Larkin‘s leg injury is expected to keep him out for at least another week. They’re also without Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Michael Rasmussen on a day-to-day basis, and lost Mason Appleton to an undisclosed injury in the second period last night. Brandsegg-Nygard was upgraded to questionable despite not dressing yesterday, though, so he should be in line to return tomorrow for another key matchup against the Bruins. With Leonard headed down, Brandsegg-Nygard will be the one stepping into Detroit’s top nine for Appleton if he can’t go.
Axel Sandin Pellikka Scratched In Six Straight
Red Wings rookie defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka was scratched for a sixth straight game in last night’s 3-1 win over the Canadiens. While the 2023 #17 overall pick hit the ground running this season as Detroit’s second-pairing righty behind Moritz Seider, his complete lack of usage after the team acquired Justin Faulk to fill that role at the deadline was weeks in the making. He has 19 points in 63 appearances but has seen his ice time slashed significantly dating back to New Year’s, averaging 13:27 per game in a 22-match stretch. He’ll no doubt make a push to leapfrog pending RFA Jacob Bernard-Docker on the depth chart next season to step back into a regular role, but his defensive results this year – a -21 rating, a 47.8% expected goals share, and a 45.2% scoring chance share at 5-on-5 – aren’t great.
Red Wings Sign Eddie Genborg To Amateur Tryout & Entry Level Contract
This evening the Detroit Red Wings announced that forward prospect Eddie Genborg has been signed to an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. He will report to AHL Grand Rapids, also inking a three-year entry-level contract starting next year.
A second-round selection in last summer’s draft (44th overall), the Swede comes over after a breakout campaign with Timra IK in the SHL where he finished third in team scoring with a 9-16-25 line in 43 games. Set to turn 19 next month, Detroit saw the potential in the winger despite recording just two goals and no helpers in 28 games last year with Linkopings HC. Genborg spent his first professional season in 2024-25 with Linkopings alongside teammate Christoffer Ehn, a name familiar to Red Wings fans from years ago, prior to the youngster catching on with Timra and making a statement.
Set to join the elite Grand Rapids Griffins for their stretch run, boasting a 43-10-3 record, Genborg’s growth was on full display at the 2026 World Junior Championships earlier this winter. He recorded eight points in seven games, helping lead Sweden to gold, their first since 2012. Genborg tied top 2025 draftee Anton Frondell for fourth in team scoring.
Standing at 6’2″, the lefty brings a physical game with a strong net front presence. Last July, he just missed the mark of the club’s top 10 prospects according to Steven Ellis of The Daily Faceoff, but since then he along with the Red Wings have seriously surpassed expectations. As a result, Genborg is set to embark on his North American career ahead of schedule, and even if it takes a period of adjustment, his physical intangibles and overall two-way game will be useful for the Griffins. Their 198 goals are tied for best in the AHL, so more scoring is hardly a need at this point in the season.
Full of skilled forwards in their cupboard, GM Steve Yzerman was content to select a more “high floor” prospect in the second round last summer, back then it could have been argued such was a reach. Yet now considering that he was a top scorer for Timra as a teenager, hovering around former NHLers in Anton Lander and Jonathan Dahlen, there’s reason for optimism in his untapped potential.
With offensive instincts and NHL-level skating still coming along, Genborg has work to do as he takes a huge step in his development. However, at the very least, he figures to be a future piece of the Wings’ bottom six, the team boasting one of the deepest prospect pools in the league to supplement a core which is already closing in on ending their playoff drought this April.
Red Wings Activate David Perron
The Detroit Red Wings announced in advance of their game tonight against the Dallas Stars that they have activated veteran forward David Perron off of injured reserve. Perron has been out since late January after undergoing sports hernia surgery.
Perron joins a Red Wings forward corps that has been dealing with significant injury issues in recent weeks. The team’s top two centers, Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp, are injured, as are Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Michael Rasmussen. Both Larkin and Copp are week-to-week with lower-body injuries, while Rasmussen is set to miss at least a week with an undisclosed injury. Brandsegg-Nygard is out on a day-to-day basis.
While Perron, a natural winger, won’t be able to assist the team down the middle, where much of the injury damage to the lineup has been sustained, his return will nonetheless strengthen the club’s middle-six. The 37-year-old, who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline for a conditional fourth-round pick, is beginning his second stint with the Red Wings. He also played for the team in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Perron scored at a healthy pace as a Red Wing, notching 56 points in his first campaign in Michigan and 47 points in his second. He hasn’t been able to reach those heights as a member of the Senators, scoring just 16 points in 43 games last season. This season, he has 25 points in 49 games.
A veteran of over 1,200 NHL games, Perron is likely to take a role somewhere in the middle of Detroit’s forward lineup, and will look to help them secure a playoff spot in a hotly contested Atlantic Division. Detroit is currently 36-23-7, which is good for 79 points and slots them in the conference’s second wild card position. But they are only two points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who hold a game in hand and have been in excellent form since hiring Rick Bowness as head coach.
While the injuries to Detroit’s centers are sure to make more of a difference for the club’s playoff hopes, getting Perron back from injury is nonetheless a step in the right direction in terms of health for a team itching to end a lengthy postseason drought.
Red Wings Recall John Leonard; Reassign Austin Watson, Eduards Tralmaks
March 14: The Red Wings announced they’ve brought Leonard back to the NHL under emergency conditions, meaning they could be without 12 healthy forwards on the active roster for tonight’s game. Larkin and Copp remain the only known injuries at the time of writing.
March 13: Watson, along with John Leonard and Eduards Tralmaks, who were also recalled under emergency conditions yesterday, were all reassigned to Grand Rapids following last night’s loss to the Lightning, per the NHL’s media site. None of the three played in the contest, and, since their emergency recalls stipulate they must be returned to the minors if their presence on the roster isn’t necessary to ice 12 forwards, it’s no surprise they’re back down today.
March 12: The Red Wings announced that they’ve recalled winger Austin Watson from AHL Grand Rapids under emergency conditions. He’ll be on hand for tonight’s game against the Lightning. Considering they already have two extra healthy forwards on the active roster, even accounting for Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp‘s injuries, there might be even more trouble up front in Detroit.
Watson, a Michigan native, is now in his second season in the organization after signing with the Wings in 2024 following a successful PTO. They liked what he brought in a depth role enough to sign him to a two-way extension in March, so he didn’t get to free agency last summer. That may change this time around as he’s on an expiring deal once again.
The 34-year-old grinder has passed through waivers a few times since signing and has spent most of his time in Grand Rapids, but he did score three goals in 13 games last season. He’s yet to make an NHL appearance in 2025-26 but has been recalled twice this year, first for a few days in October and November and then again over the Olympic break as an extra practice player.
A former first-rounder by the Predators in 2010, Watson was never the top-nine power forward they hoped he could be but still carved out a lengthy NHL career for himself, recording 63 goals and 121 points in 528 career games to date. After departing Nashville via trade to the Senators in 2020, he made a one-year stop with the Lightning in 2023-24 before landing with Detroit.
He’s been an important minor-league presence for the club, enjoying a strong 19-23–42 scoring line in 60 games last year and now 11 goals and 20 points in 48 outings in 2025-26. He’s gotten into his fair share of fights down in Grand Rapids as well, ranking fifth in the league with 137 penalty minutes, while ranking 11th on the league-best club in scoring. With a 43-9-4 record, Grand Rapids is enjoying its best season in franchise history since its inception in the IHL in 1996.
Poll: Who Had The Best Deadline In The Atlantic Division?
While it was a slower day than normal, the trade deadline is now behind us. There were still a good number of impactful swings made on deadline day and in the week leading up to it. Over the next week, PHR will be running a series of polls asking which team had the best deadline in each division. Today, we’re starting out with the Atlantic. Here’s a synopsis of all eight teams, sorted by best to worst points percentage in 2025-26:
Tampa Bay Lightning
It was a relatively quiet deadline season for the Bolts. Despite dealing with several injuries this season, the only trade the team made was acquiring Corey Perry from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2028 second-round pick.
Perry has already registered two goals and one fight since returning to Tampa Bay, adding to his 13-goal, 30-point campaign this season. He’s appeared in five of the last six Stanley Cup Finals, losing them all, giving the Lightning a familiar, hungry, and experienced veteran winger in the bottom-six.
Buffalo Sabres
Although they were unable to acquire defenseman Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues, the red-hot Sabres were still one of the most active teams on deadline day. In three separate deals, the Sabres acquired Sam Carrick, Tanner Pearson, Luke Schenn, and Logan Stanley for Jacob Bryson, Isak Rosen, a 2026 third-round pick, a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick, Chicago’s 2026 sixth-round pick, a 2026 seventh-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick.
Outside of Carrick, the other three acquisitions will become unrestricted free agents this summer, unless Buffalo extends them before July 1st. Additionally, even though they parted with five draft selections in the next two drafts, the Sabres still have 10 picks available, with plenty of time to replenish their cupboard. It was a shift from the big-game hunting the Sabres were expected to pursue, but it was a wise strategy to enhance their depth for the upcoming playoff run.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens were arguably the most surprising team on deadline day. Montreal was active on several fronts leading up to the deadline, yet it was one of the few teams that did not make a single trade.
Although it’s defensible that the team didn’t pull the trigger on acquiring a second-line center, given the asking price for many of them, it was surprising that the Canadiens couldn’t find a way to move on from Patrik Laine. During the Olympics, it was reported that Montreal wasn’t expecting Laine back with the team this season, even if he became healthy. The Kings were one of the few teams interested, but the Canadiens will hold onto him until the summer.
Boston Bruins
Like the Canadiens, the Bruins were another quiet team on deadline day. Although they made a few trades, they were only made to build up their AHL squad, the Providence Bruins.
Unlike Montreal, there were very few expectations around Boston to make a move. A few reports linked them to some of the higher-level names available, though the Bruins are only one year removed from being one of the most active sellers at the deadline. Boston likely could have made some additions to reward the team’s performance this year, but they weren’t in a position to give up significant assets.
Detroit Red Wings
Of all the teams in the Atlantic Division, the Red Wings likely had the highest expectations leading up to the deadline. Over the past two years, despite being in a wild-card spot, Detroit effectively stood pat at the trade deadline, leading many to question the team’s commitment to getting back to the postseason.
Connected to most of the market’s top names, the Red Wings arguably landed the best player of any of their divisional opponents. Just before the deadline, Detroit acquired top-four defenseman Justin Faulk from the Blues for prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, Justin Holl, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2026 third-round pick. Earlier in the day, the Red Wings traded Elmer Söderblom to the Penguins for the third-round pick that was eventually sent to St. Louis, and acquired veteran winger David Perron from the Senators for a fourth-round pick.
Ottawa Senators
If only the Senators had gotten league-average goaltending for the first part of the regular season. Because of the lackluster play between the pipes, the Senators are on the outside of the playoff conversation, though they do have plenty of time to make up the ground. Still, it made for a complicated deadline strategy.
By the end of the deadline, the only move of consequence Ottawa made was sending Buffalo’s 2026 second-round pick and a 2026 conditional third-round pick to the Los Angeles Kings for Warren Foegele and a Dallas’ conditional 2026 third-round pick. Effectively, Foegele replaces Perron in the lineup after a difficult start to the year with the Kings. Foegele is only one year removed from back-to-back 20-goal campaigns.
Florida Panthers
Nothing stops a juggernaut like injuries. Although they aren’t mathematically eliminated, it’s highly unlikely that the Panthers will have the opportunity to defend their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships this spring.
According to most reports, the Panthers were thought to have been looking to deal some of their pending unrestricted free agents, but only parted ways with defenseman Jeff Petry with the Minnesota Wild. It appears that Florida is more interested in keeping the group together and hopes for better health during the 2026-27 campaign.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Like every other team, the Maple Leafs aren’t mathematically eliminated from the postseason yet, but it is highly unlikely they’ll continue their postseason streak. Given that, Toronto was thought to be listening to nearly every player on the roster to maximize their potential return.
By the end of deadline day, the Maple Leafs had traded Nicolas Roy, Scott Laughton, and Bobby McMann for Colorado’s 2027 first-round pick, Colorado’s 2026 fifth-round pick, Ottawa’s 2026 third-round pick, Columbus’s 2027 second-round pick, and Anaheim’s 2026 fourth-round pick. Toronto still lacks its top two selections this season, unless they finish fifth overall or higher. However, they managed to re-stock some of their draft capital over the next two years.
Of all the teams in the Atlantic Division, which do you think had the best deadline season? Vote below!
Who Had The Best Deadline In The Atlantic Division?
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Buffalo Sabres 54% (282)
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Detroit Red Wings 18% (93)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 11% (60)
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Montreal Canadiens 6% (30)
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Toronto Maple Leafs 5% (28)
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Boston Bruins 3% (14)
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Ottawa Senators 2% (10)
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Florida Panthers 2% (10)
Total votes: 527
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.