John Garrett Passes Away At 74
In an unfortunate announcement, Sportsnet shared that John Garrett, 74, has passed away. Garrett enjoyed a six-year career in the NHL as a netminder, though most will know him as a color commentator with Sportsnet Pacific.
His professional career began in 1971, when he was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the NHL Draft. Instead of making his way through the Blues’ affiliates to NHL playing time, Garrett signed with the WHA’s Minnesota Fighting Saints ahead of the 1973-74 season. He spent two and a half years with Minnesota, managing a 77-63-6 record in 150 games with a 3.38 GAA. Unfortunately, the franchise folded toward the end of the 1975-76 season, and Garrett finished the season with the Toronto Toros.
The Toros didn’t stay much longer. Garrett remained with the organization even after they relocated to Birmingham despite the team having several difficult seasons. In an act of mercy, Birmingham traded Garrett to the New England Whalers and remained with the team through the 1979 WHA/NHL merger.
Finally, in the NHL, nearly a decade after being drafted by the Blues, Garrett hopped around a few times, playing for the Whalers, Quebec City Nordiques, and Vancouver Canucks. Throughout his six-year NHL career, Garrett earned a 68-91-37 record in 207 games with a .866 SV% and 4.28 GAA. Although he didn’t receive credit for years, largely because the NHL didn’t track netminder assists for many decades, Garrett was given an assist to Gordie Howe‘s last goal in his illustrious career.
Garrett retired after the 1984-85 season and was immediately offered the role of Assistant General Manager with the Canucks. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen management changes, the offer was withdrawn relatively quickly. Needing to pivot, Garrett began his broadcasting career with CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada.
During that time, he covered many games for the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames before joining Sportsnet in 1998. Beginning in the 2002-03 season, Garrett became the lead commentator for the Canucks organization, a role he held until his retirement in 2023.
We at PHR offer our condolences to the teammates, colleagues, organizations, and fans who have grown close to Garrett throughout his playing and broadcasting career.
Oilers Starting Tristan Jarry In Game 4
There’s more chaos coming from one of the most chaotic series from Round One of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. According to a report from Sportsnet, the Edmonton Oilers are switching to Tristan Jarry for a pivotal Game 4 against the Anaheim Ducks.
Edmonton’s problems in the crease have become like a broken record for many following the NHL, and there’s been no shortage of drama in the opening round of the postseason. Although the Oilers have been scoring at a relatively high pace (as expected), netminder Connor Ingram has completely bottomed out, stopping only 79 of 93 shots (.849 SV%) while letting in 4.70 goals a game on average.
The Oilers are more than used to this reality by now. Edmonton hasn’t had competent goaltending for a few years now. Stuart Skinner showed flashes of brilliance during the 2023-24 season and helped the franchise reach its first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006. Despite a down regular season, the Oilers again reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2025, this time despite Skinner, who posted a .889 SV% in 15 postseason contests.
Back in December, when Edmonton acquired Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins, they thought he would be the answer. In their defense, Jarry was backstopping a resurgent Penguins organization, managing a 9-3-1 record in 13 starts with a .909 SV% and 2.66 GAA.
Then, like many other netminders, everything came apart in Alberta.
Including a stint on the injured reserve, Jarry was disastrous down the stretch with the Oilers, posting a 9-6-2 record in 16 games with a .857 SV%, 3.86 GAA, and an eye-popping -16.6 Goals Saved Above Average. That production, or lack thereof, forced Edmonton’s hand into running with Ingram for the last bit of the regular season and the first three games of the postseason.
Although the Oilers aren’t on the brink of elimination, this already feels like the last attempt to right the ship. If the Ducks get to Jarry, it’s hard to envision Edmonton having any confidence in going back to Ingram with how things have gone so far.
Jason Dickinson Made Game-Time Decision
- The Anaheim Ducks will remain without their captain tonight in Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers. According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Radko Gudas is still dealing with his undisclosed injury and has been ruled out for tonight’s contest. Anaheim will certainly miss having his physicality in the lineup as they look to shut down Connor McDavid in a third consecutive game. Gudas skated in 9:40 of action in Game 1, earning a -1 rating while putting one shot on goal and delivering two hits.
- On the other side of tonight’s matchup, the Oilers are dealing with their own injury concerns. Team reporter Tony Brar shared that Jason Dickinson has been elevated to a game-time decision due to his undisclosed injury. Having missed Game 2 already, the trade deadline acquisition was one of, if not, the Oilers’ best forward in Game 1. Dickinson scored two goals in that contest in 12 minutes of ice time.
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Latest On Jason Dickinson
Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson is questionable for game two tonight against the Anaheim Ducks as the result of an undisclosed injury, reports Jason Gregor of Sports 1440. Per Gregor, veteran Curtis Lazar will enter head coach Kris Knoblauch’s lineup if Dickinson can’t dress. Dickinson has had some trouble staying healthy in recent weeks, as he missed the final three games of Edmonton’s regular season schedule with a lower-body injury. That didn’t stop him from making a major impact in game one, as he scored two goals in Edmonton’s 4-3 victory over the Ducks.
The 30-year-old veteran was acquired by the Oilers at the trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks, and is a well-respected bottom-six center thanks to his defensive ability. Lazar, 31, is also a bottom-six defensive center, though he is not held in quite as high a regard as the player he may replace in the lineup. Lazar got into 45 games for Edmonton this season, averaging 8:55 time on ice per game, including 0:33 per game on the penalty kill. Dickinson has been Edmonton’s top penalty-killing forward since he was acquired, averaging a team-high 1:51 time on ice per game while short handed.
Oilers’ Adam Henrique Out Day-To-Day
The Edmonton Oilers were able to add star forward Leon Draisaitl back to the lineup before Monday night’s Game 1 against the Anaheim Ducks. Unfortunately, they did not leave the matchup unscathed, with depth forward Adam Henrique sustaining an undisclosed injury late in the first period. The injury came on a collision with Oilers teammate Kasperi Kapanen. Henrique sat out of the final two periods and will now be unavailable for Game 2, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters including Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
Henrique was filling Edmonton’s fourth-line center role before going down with injury. He also served on the team’s top penalty-killing unit alongside Jason Dickinson. It could be Dickinson picking up the slack at even-strength in Henrique’s absence. The Trade Deadline acquisition fills the third-line center role and scored two goals – the opener and the tying goal – in Monday night’s win. Dickinson also took the third-most faceoffs of any Oilers center, behind Connor McDavid and Draisaitl. He won four of his 10 draws, or 40 percent – a dip from the 48.7 faceoff percentage he recorded in 17 regular season games with Edmonton.
While Dickinson prepares for a bit more trust in Game 2, it will be Josh Samanski stepping into the lineup to fill Henrique’s spot. Samanski made his NHL debut in late January. He went on to tally four points, six penalty minutes, and a plus-two in 24 games – while adding 31 points and 40 penalty minutes in 45 AHL games. Samanski stood out as a do-it-all, utility forward in his small NHL sample – but his lack of scoring could become glaring in must-win games. That is where Dickinson’s hot streak in the bottom-six could buoy the offense, while allowing Samanski to play the hard minutes while stars rest up.
Henrique has racked up 15 points, 18 penalty minutes, and a minus-12 through 65 games this season. On the tail-end of his career, the 1,000-game veteran has fallen into a depth role for the Oilers. He does still offer upside in faceoffs and on special teams, though. Henrique posted a 54.0 faceoff percentage and 104 minutes of penalty-killing time this season, both ranked third among the Oilers forwards. He will be a defense-oriented addition to the Oilers’ playoff lineup if he works back to full health before the end of the first round.
Oilers Activate Leon Draisaitl Off LTIR
The Oilers will indeed welcome back one of their top players as their first-round series against Anaheim gets underway tonight. The team announced (Twitter link) that they have activated forward Leon Draisaitl off long-term injured reserve.
The 30-year-old has been sidelined since mid-March due to a lower-body injury. He briefly flew to Germany to be assessed and at that time, it was noted that the hope was that he’d be back at some point in the first round. He’ll beat that by being ready for the start of the series.
Draisaitl finished just shy of the 100-point mark this season, snapping a streak of four straight years at that threshold. However, he still managed 35 goals and 62 assists in 65 appearances with his 1.49 points per game mark matching what he put up in 2024-25.
Draisaitl has been especially productive in the playoffs in recent years which certainly bodes well for Edmonton. Last year, he led all players in postseason points with 33; he has surpassed the 30-point mark in three of the last four years. That extra firepower will certainly make their lineup that much more dangerous.
With Jason Dickinson expected to be available tonight, this should be the first game all season that the Oilers have had their fully healthy lineup. We’ll soon find out if that’s enough to give them a boost in the opener against the Ducks.
Latest On Leon Draisaitl, Jason Dickinson
Two welcome additions were on the ice today in Edmonton’s practice, as Leon Draisaitl and Jason Dickinson were full participants, noted by TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. It’s not yet certain, but the news suggests the Oilers could be icing a fully stocked lineup tomorrow night in Game 1 of their first round series against Anaheim.
Meanwhile, Dickinson took the middle between Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jack Roslovic on the third line. With just one goal and four points in 17 games since being acquired from Chicago, he will lean fully into a shutdown role to try and help the Oilers make a third-consecutive deep run. The 30-year-old’s possession metrics at five-on-five with his new team aren’t pretty, under 40% corsi for, but he’s starting over 71% of shifts in the defensive zone, which will continue to be his calling card ahead. Dickinson has missed the team’s last three games with a leg injury and hasn’t found the back of the net in his last 13 contests.
With other teams wrapping up their respective second games around the time the puck finally drops to open the Oilers/Ducks series, the scheduling worked to the benefit of Edmonton, giving them the real possibility of returning to full health.
Oilers Sign David Lewandowski To AHL ATO
- The Edmonton Oilers signed prospect forward David Lewandowski has joined the team’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, on an ATO. The 19-year-old made his North American professional debut last night against the San Jose Barracuda and earned his first AHL point, a secondary assist. The 19-year-old German forward was selected in the fourth round, No. 117 overall, of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler ranked Lewandowski as the No. 5 prospect in Edmonton’s system, calling him a “a reliable, almost veteran player, even though he’s still a teenager.” Lewandowski spent most of 2025-26 with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades, where he scored 65 points in 57 regular-season games and nine points in 11 postseason contests.
AHL Shuffle: 4/17/26
Several smaller-profile moves will come across the wire today. Teams done with their seasons are sending their fringe talent back to the AHL for postseason play, while teams bound for the first round of the playoffs could be making some small alternations as well – in particular, settling on their “emergency” third goalie as the league permits for the playoffs. We’ll keep track of those moves today:
- The Flyers announced they’ve recalled goaltender Aleksei Kolosov from AHL Lehigh Valley and reassigned Carson Bjarnason there in his stead. Bjarnason was up just yesterday for practice, but it now appears they’ve re-evaluated and will prefer to have the more experienced Kolosov as their #3 behind Daniel Vladař and Samuel Ersson to begin their clash with the Penguins rather than Bjarnason, a first-year pro. With Lehigh Valley now eliminated from playoff contention, there’s no use keeping Kolosov down there to try to get them in. Kolosov, who has a 5-11-1 record and a .863 SV% in 21 career NHL appearances, will be eligible to enter a playoff game as an emergency backup if both Vladař and Ersson leave with injuries.
- The Flames have reassigned forwards Rory Kerins and Aydar Suniev, as well as goaltender Arsenii Sergeev, to AHL Calgary following last night’s season finale against the Kings. Sergeev, 23, was exceptional in his first career start, guiding Calgary to a 4-1 win while posting a .964 SV% and saving 2.6 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck. Kerins and Suniev were both late-season call-ups for the Flames once the playoffs were no longer a possibility but didn’t do much in their reps, combining for one assist (Suniev’s) in 10 games. There won’t be any playoff action in store for the trio; the Wranglers are last in the AHL’s Pacific Division and won’t be heading to the Calder Cup Playoffs.
- The Blue Jackets have added goaltending prospect Evan Gardner to AHL Cleveland’s roster, per a team announcement. The 20-year-old’s Saskatoon Blades in the WHL were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by Prince Albert this week. The 60th overall pick in 2024, Gardner will be turning pro full-time next season with either Cleveland or somewhere in the ECHL (Columbus is one of the few teams without a designated affiliate). His entry-level contract remains slide-eligible for this season, so it won’t kick in until 2026-27. He had a .902 SV% and 2.96 GAA – both great numbers for career-lows – in 52 games for Saskatoon in his third and final junior season.
- The Sharks have assigned winger Igor Chernyshov and defenseman Luca Cagnoni to AHL San Jose for the Calder Cup Playoffs, per Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest. It could very well be the last AHL action of Chernyshov’s career. The 20-year-old looks well on his way toward being a top-six piece from the drop next season, rattling off a 9-10–19 scoring line in 28 games of call-up action this year while seeing significant time on Macklin Celebrini‘s left wing. The 2024 second-rounder also had 13 goals and 33 points in 41 AHL games to date. Cagnoni, a 5’9″ lefty, had only been up for the last few games to get an end-of-season look once the Sharks were eliminated from playoff contention. The 21-year-old went pointless in three games after seeing a six-game debut last season. He leads Barracuda defensemen in scoring with an 8-35–43 line in 67 games.
- The Oilers have added Calvin Pickard back from AHL Bakersfield to serve as the EBUG behind Connor Ingram and Tristan Jarry in the postseason. Pickard started the season as Edmonton’s backup but was supplanted by Ingram after struggling to the tune of a .871 SV% and 3.68 GAA in 16 appearances (5-6-2 record). Fresh off his 34th birthday, he’s started playoff games in each of the last two years for the Oilers – including Game 5 of last year’s Stanley Cup Final – so there’s zero hesitancy about tossing him into the fray if Ingram and Jarry fall flat. Since clearing waivers and being assigned to Bakersfield at the beginning of February, Pickard has a .886 SV% and 3.26 GAA in eight games with one shutout and a 4-3-1 record.
- The Mammoth announced that they’ve recalled winger Danil But and goaltender Matt Villalta from AHL Tucson. With Tucson out of the playoffs, recalling their AHL starter in Villalta isn’t an issue to serve as their EBUG. He has just two NHL starts to his name but is a known AHL commodity, posting a .895 SV% in 33 outings for the Roadrunners this season. The more pressing move, of course, is the re-infusion of But into the mix. Utah has given its 2023 12th overall pick several looks on the roster this season in top-nine duties, with the 6’5″ Russian managing three goals and four assists in 29 games. It doesn’t appear he’ll be in their Game 1 lineup to start, even with Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain still unavailable, but he’ll almost surely be the next man up in case of any other lineup changes.
- The Islanders added Russian forward Daniil Prokhorov to their AHL roster, from KHL side Dynamo Moscow. The club drafted Prokhorov in the second round, No. 42 overall, at the 2025 NHL entry draft, their fourth selection overall. The 18-year-old forward was recently ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the Islanders’ system by Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. Wheeler called Prokhorov, who stands 6’5″, a ” big, strong, driven, hardworking player.” AHL Bridgeport will be the fourth team Prokhorov has played for, in the fourth league. He scored one goal in 23 KHL games for Dynamo Moscow, 18 points in 25 games for Dynamo St. Petersburg in Russia’s second-tier VHL, and had six points in eight games at the MHL level, which is Russia’s top junior league. Prokhorov will soon make his debut on this side of the Atlantic for a Bridgeport team that has already clinched its playoff spot, and is playing out its final season in Connecticut before an offseason relocation to Ontario.
- The Wild recalled netminder Cal Petersen from their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild today. Petersen, 31, is the No. 3 netminder on the Wild depth chart and will likely occupy a spare goalie role for the team during its first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars. Recalling Petersen today allows him to join the team in advance of the start of their series against Dallas. The AHL Wild have already been eliminated from playoff contention, so today’s move turns over their net to Samuel Hlavaj and Riley Mercer, while allowing the team’s No. 3 goalie to join the NHL team and provide them with additional insurance in case one of Minnesota’s two regular goalies (Jesper Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson) become unavailable.
- The Kraken reassigned forward Jani Nyman and netminders Niklas Kokko and Victor Ostman to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. With the Kraken’s season concluded, the move allows three potentially significant contributors to re-join Coachella Valley in advance of what the club hopes will be another extended playoff run. Nyman, 21, scored 21 goals and 33 points in 38 games at the AHL level this season, and was the Firebird’s leading goal scorer in 2024-25. Kokko, 22, went 18-10-2 in 33 games for Coachella Valley this season and posted a .903 save percentage. Ostman, 25, signed out of the University of Maine for 2024-25 and spent last season as a tandem goalie in the ECHL. He has had a strong AHL campaign in his second year of pro hockey, going 17-14-3 with a .907 save percentage in 35 games with Coachella Valley.
- The Canucks announced that forward Ty Mueller and defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev have been reassigned to the club’s AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Both Mueller and Kudryavtsev had been on the Canucks’ NHL roster in the final days of the club’s NHL campaign. They have each been key AHL contributors this season. Mueller, 23, scored 35 points in 58 games this year for the AHL Canucks, while Kudryavtsev, 22, scored 18 points in 42 games playing a top-four role including time on both sides of special teams.
- The Ducks reassigned defenseman Tristan Luneau to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, as the team prepares for their first-round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers. The 22-year-old got into his first NHL game yesterday. A 2022 second-round pick, Luneau has been one of the AHL’s most productive offensive defensemen since joining the league. He led San Diego in scoring last season with 52 points in 59 games, and leads the team in scoring by a defenseman this year with 41 points in 69 contests.
- In a similar move to the Wild’s recall of Petersen, the Senators recalled netminder Leevi Merilainen from their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators today. Belleville, like Iowa, has already been eliminated from playoff contention, so Ottawa is seemingly content to turn its AHL net over to other names for the final games of the season while getting the team’s No. 3 goalie onto their NHL roster a few days early. Merilainen played a solid 18 games for Belleville this season, posting a .909 save percentage, but struggled in 20 games at the NHL level. His .860 save percentage in 20 games with the Senators this season is the lowest save percentage by any goalie with at least 15 games played.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
At Least Eight Teams To Carry Overage Penalty Into 2026-27
The NHL adds contract performance bonuses to the salary cap hit of each team at the end of the season. Any price over the salary cap is carried over to the team’s cap hit in the following season. Performance bonuses are broken up into two categories. A-level bonuses are paid out for reaching set numbers of goals, assists, points, plus-minus, or time on ice per-game. End-of-season accolades, such as an All-Star or All-Team nomination, are also A-level bonuses. B-level bonuses are worth up to $2MM and can include leaderboard rankings, minimum stats reached, or award wins. More details about performance bonuses can be found on PuckPedia.
At least NHL teams will carry an overage penalty into the 2026-27 season per PuckPedia. That number is down from 11 in the 2025-26 season and 15, an NHL record, in the 2024-25 season. This year’s list includes:
New York Islanders: $3.5MM
The Islanders paid out every last bit of rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer‘s potential $3.5MM performance bonus. He was awarded $1MM for his per-game scoring and ice time, then earned an additional $2.5MM by finishing in the top-10 of defensemen scoring. The Islanders utilized long-term injured reserve to exceed the salary cap at the end of the season. That will leave all of Schaefer’s performance bonus as overage headed into next season.
Colorado Avalanche: $2.29MM
Colorado lands an overage penalty thanks to Brent Burns‘ performance on an age-35+ contract. Burns had a potential for $4MM in performance bonuses on his deal and earned $3MM of that by playing in 10 games this season. Colorado utilized LTIR earlier in the year but finished the season with a little more than $700K in cap space. That space will help offset the cost of Burns’ bonuses just a bit, though Colorado will still carry a penalty into 2026-27.
Dallas Stars: $2.08-$3.08MM
The Dallas Stars paid out $80K in bonus to Justin Hryckowian for reaching 70 games this season. Captain Jamie Benn also earned $2MM of a potential $3MM in bonuses for playing in 50 games. That includes appearing in the season finale, which netted him $500K on its own. Benn has the potential to earn an additional $1MM in bonus – $500K each if Dallas wins the Western Conference Finals and Stanley Cup. That will sit the Stars with just over $2MM in overage currently and the potential for $3MM if they win it all.
Montreal Canadiens: $1.93-2.07MM
The Montreal Canadiens finished the year with less than $50K in cap space, in part thanks to their mid-season acquisition of Phillip Danault. Rookie Ivan Demidov landed $1MM in bonuses, of a potential $2MM, for his per-game scoring and ice time totals. Oliver Kapanen also earned $250K in bonuses for his per-game totals. He could earn an additional $137.5K if he is named to the NHL All-Rookie Team – a feat that seems unlikely with rookie forwards like Demidov, Beckett Sennecke, Benjamin Kindel, and Jimmy Snuggerud also in the running. Montreal also paid out $400K in bonuses to star defenseman Lane Hutson for a variety of reasons and $80K to rookie goalie Jacob Fowler for reaching 10 games. They will sit just shy of $2MM in overage penalty and could crest that mark if Kapanen earns all-team honors.
Ottawa Senators: $0-1.41MM
The Ottawa Senators will have to sign some big checks if they go on a playoff run. They have already paid out $1MM to Claude Giroux, and $750K to Lars Eller, for playing in 60 games and reaching the postseason. Giroux will earn an additional $500K if Ottawa wins in the first round – a cost that would be absorbed by their end-of-year cap space. But Giroux and Eller will also be eligible for $250K in bonuses if Ottawa wins the second round, and Giroux can net an additional $500K for wins in each of the Eastern Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals. That will leave Ottawa with four potential outcomes: no overage penalty, $414K in overage penalty (third-round loss), $914K in overage penalty (Stanley Cup Final loss), or $1.414MM in overage penalty (Stanley Cup win).
New Jersey Devils: $1.25MM
The Devils paid out two bonuses that pushed them into the red. Young defenseman Simon Nemec earned $750K in bonuses for his scoring, plus-minus, and ice time per-game totals. Winger Evgenii Dadonov landed $500K for scoring at least one point, $250K for playing in 10 games, and an additional $250K for reaching 20 games. He did not play in his 20th game of the season until March 29th, earning the 37 year old a late-season chip. Now, the Devils will carry more than $1MM in overage penalty into next season.
San Jose Sharks: $918.7K
The San Jose Sharks finished the year with $4.8MM in cap space but still land on the list of overage penalties. Much of that is thanks to their young stars. Macklin Celebrini earned every bit of his $3.5MM in potential bonuses with his franchise record-setting scoring. Will Smith earned $1MM, and William Eklund earned $450K, in bonuses for their scoring and ice time per-game. Those marks also earned Sam Dickinson $250K and Collin Graf reached his contract cap of $500K in bonuses. That amounts to $5.425MM, pushing the Sharks into the red for next season.
Edmonton Oilers: $250K
The Edmonton Oilers will face their second-straight season with $250K in overage penalty next year. This time, it is a result of rookie Matthew Savoie, who earned $250K with his ice time per-game. Edmonton finished the year utilizing LTIR to exceed the salary cap.
Florida Panthers: $150K
Defenseman Jeff Petry earned $150K in bonuses for reaching 50 games played with the Florida Panthers before the Trade Deadline. He earned an additional $60K for reaching 60 games, though that bonus came after his trade to the Minnesota Wild.
Photo courtesy of Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports